Fumetsu Mai
by SukiChan12
Summary: Pan and Trunks have been married for seven years, and then the unimaginable happens: Tragedy strikes. How will Pan cope with the loss of her husband, or will she succumb to the grief?
1. Fighting the Inevitable

**Here's one of my sadder one-shots. It's a TxP, but it's a tragedy, as in, one of them will die, or is dead. I thought of this yesterday at school, and I just had to get it up on ff. I wrote the beginning of it on a sheet of paper, and I skipped lunch to finish it and start planning out how the one shot would go. I didn't get much done, but I'll post it today anyway. I named it Fumetsu Mai, because that's the most direct Japanese translation I could find for the song I based it off of, My Immortal, by Evanescence. Technically, it's 'Immortal my' by translation, but just go alone with it. Without further ado, my very first romantic tragedy.**

* * *

Silence reigned in the darkened room, filling it with a heavy, almost substantial presence. The only source of light were thin slivers of sun peeking from the heavy curtains in front of a large bay window. A small ray of light fell on a single lock of ebony hair. A thick, heavier mass of silk fell over a small, elfin face, hiding her from the cruelty of the cold hearted world. Her small hand gripped a pendant hanging from a golden strand around her graceful neck.

The small form shook with quiet sobs as she lay; curled up in _his_ office chair, inhaling the heady scent of _his_ unique, one-of-a-kind cologne. _His_ favorite jacket hung on the back of the chair, and she pressed her face into the lapel, simply drinking _him_ in. Her body quaked in memory, and fresh tears trickled down her face.

The chair was still firmly molded to _his_ body shape. Her instincts told her that she shouldn't disturb _his_ study, but she wanted so badly to be close to _him_ again; if only in spirit. Her body hummed with satisfaction as her small form barely filled the big black leather chair, curled up into a ball. She felt like a child in an adult's chair, but she did not care. She cuddled and nuzzled the leather material and inhaled. Oh kami, _his_ scent was embedded into the chair. She nuzzled her nose into the chair, feeling oh so very greedy as she drank _his _essence in, trying to feel _him_ near her again. What she would give to have _him_ in her arms, if only for one last night.

She could remember the day it happened; like the day of her wedding, and the birth of their first two children, it was permanently etched into the surface of her brain, never to leave her, no matter how old she got. She doubted she could even forget it if she hit her head and got amnesia somehow...

_Two weeks ago..._

"_Hi, Mama, can I ask you a favor?" Pan asked, holding the phone between her shoulder and her ear. "Depends on what you need, darling." Videl replied with a chuckle, knowing she'd do anything for her only baby. "I need you to come to the Obstetrician with me." Pan told her, glancing around nervously for Trunks. "Oh... Oh, sweetie, are you-"_

"_Mama, I don't know, that's why I'm asking you to make the trip with me." Pan cut her off as Trunks entered the kitchen, whistling happily, "so, I'll meet you at the mall at twelve, Mama?" Videl knew this as code for 'Trunks was in the room' and played along, "Of course, Pan-chan. I'll see you then." The shared their goodbyes and hung up._

"_Mama!" Pan whirled around and caught her young daughter in her arms, "Good morning, Tika-chan!" The two year old giggled and squealed as her face was peppered in butterfly kisses. Trunks watched bemusedly, and hand resting on top of their six year old son; Kālu's head. The boy was the spitting image of his father as a child, but with his mother's fiery spirit. Tika was all Pan, inside and out._

"_Kālu-chan , why don't you help your sister get ready for breakfast?" Pan set Tika down and picked Kālu up and kissed his nose. He laughed and squirmed to be let down, "No kisses, Mama." She grinned and kissed his face once more, "There's my little man," before setting him down. He took Tika's little hand and led her to the table._

"_So... what has you so cheery this morning, hon?" Pan asked, sidling up to her husband. "We're closing a huge deal today, and when I do, I'm taking my wonderful little family on a vacation." Trunks wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in close, "how would you like that, Mrs. Briefs?" she giggled and pecked his lips, "I'd love that, Mr. Briefs." _

_The couple shared a deeper, more romantic kiss, and Pan handed him his coffee mug and a bagel before straightening his jacket and tie with a teasing laugh._

"_You can't make a good impression with a crooked tie, President Briefs." Pan said coyly, winking at him. "Must you tease me, Madame President Briefs?" Trunks replied, smirking sardonically at her, and then asked, "So, you're hanging out with your mother today?"_

"_Yup, we're going to do a little mother-daughter bonding." Pan said with a laugh, "and I'll have to dump our babies off on Goten and Papa for the day, because your mother and Bra are coming with us."_

_Pan finished fixing his tie with a flourish, and then pulled him down for a kiss good bye. Little did she know; that was one of the last kisses she'd ever share with her wonderful husband_.

"_Bye-bye, Papa!" Tika called happily after them, and Trunks chuckled and returned to the table to say his goodbyes to their children. Pan watched as he ruffled Kālu's hair and kissed Tika's cheeks and face until she squealed for him to stop, smiling gooily._

"_You know I love you, right, Panny?" Trunks asked as they made their way to the front door. "Of course I do." Pan told him, smiling lovingly as he opened the door. _

"_Remember that, Pan-chan. I'll always love you, no matter what." They kissed again, and Trunks was making his way out to the limo that usually took him to work. _

_Pan stared after the limo as it pulled away. Why did it feel like he was saying good bye? A harrowing feeling of foreboding dread lodged into her chest, but she pushed it down with a soft chuckle. Her and her paranoid tendencies. She walked back into the house and shut the door, never knowing that it would be the last time he ever crossed the threshold of their happy home..._

Two weeks later... _(current time)_

She reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a shiny, yellow gold wedding band, sized for a masculine hand. She slid it onto her left thumb and kissed it reverently. She remembered how well the color stood out against _his_ skin... and how very pale and cold _he'd_ been when she removed the band from _his_ stiff, callused hand. Despite the reprimands from her parents, she'd lain next to _him_ on that cold, metal bed, whispering to _him_. She told _him_ that she was, yet again, carrying their child in her womb.

With shaking hands, she removed the thin gold chain from her neck and pulled it away from herself. From the chain swung a round amber orb with four ruby stars floating within it. She took _his_ wedding band and dropped it onto the chain, waited for it to settle next to the bauble, and then put the necklace back on. Once it was firmly clasped, her hand wrapped around it, and her body began to shake with suppressed sobs.

The necklace had been _his_ gift to her on their first wedding anniversary. They spent the first year of their marriage traveling both the world and outer space, making love in between explorations. On the last day of their trip, which was a year after their wedding, _he_ had the necklace made on the last planet they'd visited and presented it to her that following night. In return, she revealed to _him_ that she had conceived their first child; little Kālu...

_Seven years ago..._

"_Isn't the view just amazing, love?" Pan asked eagerly, taking in the nebulas and star clusters that made up the night sky on planet Andros. "Indeed it is." Trunks agreed, reaching around her with a mysterious object, "Happy anniversary, Pan-chan."_

_Pan gasped as a round object settled just above her cleavage and grabbed it to raise it to her eye level, "Oh, Trunks..." The detail on the little trinket was absolutely extraordinary. No matter how she twisted the orb, the red stars always remained in the same place. She relinquished her hold on the orb and turned to face her husband with watery eyes, "I love it."_

"_I had a feeling you would, love." Trunks chuckled and pulled her into a deep kiss. Pan groaned into the kiss, gripping the hair at the nape of his neck tightly, and then pulled away, "I need to give you my gift."_

"_Pan, you didn't need to get me any-" _

_Pan shook her head vehemently, "Yes, I did, but I didn't exactly 'get' you a gift. I- err, we made it ourselves." _

_Trunks furrowed his brows in confusion, "Panny, I don't remember making anything with-" He cut off with a gasp because Pan had snatched his hand and placed it on her lower stomach._

"_You're pregnant?"_

_Pan nodded, happy tears running down her cheeks in streams, "Yes, I'm a little over a month along. The healer on the last planet sensed it."_

_Trunks scooped her up in a hug, "Best anniversary gift ever. We've got to get you back home soon so you can get checked out... but first..." Pan laughed coyly and he leaned and kissed her, wrapping her arms snuggly around his neck, "First what, husband?" He grinned down at his small wife and pressed his lips against hers in a deep kiss, "We celebrate this properly."_

"_By committing the act that led to this?" She asked, patting her stomach gently. "Oh, but of course, Mrs. Briefs." Trunks lifted her into his arms, and she giggled excitedly as he carried her into the bedroom, where her giggling quickly morphed into moaning as their physical celebration commenced..._

Current time...

She looked down at her stomach and nearly started crying all over again. Here she was, in the same position that she'd been in seven years prior, but this time _he _wasn't here to support her and keep her grounded. She unfolded her legs and let one swing over the side of the arm of the big leather chair. It had been molded to fit _his_ body, so her foot didn't even touch the floor.

"Panny?"

Pan looked up at her father's entry, releasing her hold on her necklace, "Yes, Papa?" Gohan bit his lips nervously before making his way around the mahogany desk to her side. She gazed up at him silently, and then looked away, "Papa, I'm fine." Her father perched on the edge of the desk and stared at her with an unconvinced eye, "You are not. It's been two weeks, and when you're not taking care of the kids, you're in here, sitting in this chair, holding onto that necklace."

"It's not '_that_' necklace, Papa! Tru- _He_ gave it to me for our first anniversary! You don't understand how much this necklace means to me! I'm doing the best that I can to get by, and I'm _sorry_ if my best isn't good enough for you!" Pan clambered out of the chair and nearly tripped on her way to the door if Gohan hadn't managed to catch her.

"Panny, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you-" She shook her head, fighting off tears, "It's okay," and looked away, "why am I so _weak_?" Warm, strong arms wrapped around her waist, and she snuggled eagerly into her father's chest, weeping quietly...

_Two weeks ago..._

_Pan filled out the paperwork at the Obstetricians office carefully. Her mother sat beside her, laughing at something Bulma had said. Bra sat on her other side, texting her own husband; Goten._

"_Alright, let me go turn these in." Pan stood up and made her way to the front desk. The cheery nurse working the desk smiled at her and took the papers, "Dr. Majuubi will be with you shortly, Mrs. Briefs. She was rather excited when you called in this morning." Pan chuckled, "I had a feeling she would be. Thank you," and returned to her seat._

"_Are you nervous, Panny?" Bra asked. "Of course I'm nervous. I've been nervous the last two times I've been in this position." Pan huffed, and Bra laughed, "Yeah, I remember when Goten and I found out that we were having twins." The brunette gestured to her rounded stomach, "that wasn't that long ago, sister." The bluenette stuck her tongue out at her, and the two best friends burst into a fit of giggles like high school girls._

"_You two haven't grown up a bit, I swear." Videl admonished, and Bulma nodded along, "sure haven't. Just wait until Marron gets out here, and then we'll be stuck dealing with all of them." The two mothers shared a laugh._

"_Pan-chan! Bra-chan!"_

_Both women looked up as their blonde best friend made her way out of the examination areas, waddling with her full, pregnant belly, and then got up to rush over to her, "Maz-chan!"_

"_Aren't you supposed to be on bed rest? Maz, you're huge." Bra hugged the blonde. "You're not that far behind me, sister, and no, I'm two months away from my due date, and I don't want to lay around in the bed all day, with Uub waiting on my hand and foot."_

"_Are you nuts? I'd love it if Trunks did that for me." Pan snickered and hugged her, "nice to see you, Marron."_

"_Alright, now," Marron said, slipping into 'Doctor' mode, "let's get you all back to the examination room so we can get this show on the road." Everyone followed the pregnant OB/GYN back to the private examination room._

"_Alright, Panny, up on the table." Pan climbed onto the table laid back with her jeans unbuttoned and shirt rolled up. If one looked closely, the slightest definition of a bump could be seen. Marron wheeled the ultrasound machine over and squirted the cool gel onto Pan's stomach, sniggering when she jumped, "You ought to be used to it, Panny. When do you think you conceived?"_

"_I'd guess a month and a half ago, maybe two months." Pan replied, blushing as she recalled the wicked sex that had taken place at both times, "I can't be too sure." Bra and Marron giggled at her blush, but toned it down when the little Briefs woman shot them a chagrined glare, "shut up."_

_Marron calmed herself and lowered the wand to Pan's stomach, pushing the gel around. The sound of a heart beat filled the room, and Pan's eyes began to water, "Oh my..."_

"_There they are." Marron pointed out the outline of the baby on the screen, "I'd place you at about eleven weeks; just under three months. Congratulations, Panny. I'll go print out your prescription for prenatal vitamins and a few ultrasound pictures for Trunks." The pregnant wife of Uub waddled from the room to go complete her tasks._

"_Pan... what if you end up having twins, too? That would be awesome!" Bra squealed, and Pan laughed at her exuberance, "thanks, but no thanks. I think I'd like to keep my kid count at three, if it's possible. You and Marron can have four."_

_Marron was into her fourth pregnancy, having already had three girls; Kaila, Mari, and Juu. She hoped desperately for a boy this time, as she had no intentions of getting pregnant again. Kaila was the oldest at six, Mari was four, and Juu was soon to turn two. Kaila was her mother's spitting image with Uub's brown eyes, Mari was all Uub with Marron's eyes, and Juu was a mini of her grandmother, Juuhachi._

_Bra already had a first set of twins; two adorable four year old boys named Goku and Vegeta. How so very ironic that they both looked exactly like their namesakes, but got along, unlike the originals. The set she was carrying now were both girls, so her brood was evened out._

_Pan was satisfied with her two little angels, Kālu and Tika, and was happy to add on one last member to their family. Kālu was born with black hair and eyes, like his mother, but both lightened up to a familiar lavender and crystal blue as he got older. Tika had been born with blue hair and eyes like her Grandma and Aunt, but quickly grew into her mother's darker coloring._

'_Mine' by Taylor Swift began to blare through the room, causing Pan to jump, but she quickly pulled out her phone and answered it, "Trunks-kun?" A raspy chuckle greeted her, "Hey, Pan-chan." She frowned, "Trunks, are you alright?"_

"_We closed the huge deal today, and I'm going to head home early. I think my secretary gave me a bad cup of coffee, because I feel kind of weird." Trunks replied as he packed his briefcase in his office._

"_Alright, well, we're almost done, so I'll be home soon." Pan told him, "I've got a surprise for you, too." Trunks chuckled again, "I can't wait to see. Panny?"_

"_Yes, Trunks?"_

"_I love you." Pan giggled, "I love you, too-"_

"_No, Panny, I love you so much. You and our wonderful children. You make me feel like the luckiest man in the world, and I just want to thank you for giving me your heart, and our angels. It's been a wonderful seven years, hasn't it?"_

"_Well, yes, it has, and I believe it takes two to make one, love." Pan stood up, fixed her clothes, and drifted from the room to have privacy, "Baby, what brought this on?"_

**(A/N: Authoress is officially crying.)**

"_I really don't know, actually. I woke up this morning with this strange feeling... like I was going to leave and never come back." Pa gasped, "Baby, you're not going anywhere." He coughed suddenly, and Pan realized he was about to start crying, "I don't know what the hell brought this on, but Pan... I don't want to leave you. I want to stay in our home with you and the kids and never leave. Panny, please, don't let me leave."_

_Tears began to trickle down Pan's face as she listened to her husband's heartbroken plea. "I won't let you. I promise I won't." She vowed, mentally urging Marron to hurry up with the pictures and the prescription so she could meet her husband at home._

"_Thank you, Pan-chan. I'm about to start driving, and you know I can't multitask." Trunks gave a watery chuckle as he threw his briefcase in the backseat of his emergency hover car. He always carried it in his capsule case when he didn't feel like waiting on the limo to take him back home._

"_I beg to differ." Pan said saucily, and he chuckled again. "I'll see you when you get done with your mom and everyone else. Bye, Panny."_

"_Bye, Trunks." Pan said softly, and then hung up. Why did that feel so... so final? She had to get home now..._

Current time...

Pan couldn't believe what had happened in the next half hour or so that it took her to get home. Even now, it seemed so unbelievable. _He'd _fought monsters like Majin Buu, Bebi, Brolli, and Omega Shenron and come out alive... but with a single chemical; a fucking _allergic reaction, _and _he_ was gone. Stolen away from her forever. She'd never regretted living so far away from her nearest neighbors as much as she did now...

_Two weeks ago..._

"_Alright, Panny, here is your prescription, and the pic- Panny, what's wrong?" Marron asked worriedly, waddling over to her friend. The brunette was sitting in a cushioned chair, gripping her hair and shaking one of her legs restlessly. There were dried tear streaks on her cheeks, and her eyes were impossibly wide._

"_Trunks had a breakdown over the phone, and I need to get to him, now." She whispered, biting on her bottom lip. What if he was already home, and she wasn't there to comfort him... Oh, kami. Scenarios began to fly through her head, making it pound._

"_Alright, I'll go fill your prescription and bring it by later. Here are the pictures, and your mom, Aunt Bulma, and Bra are waiting in the car." Marron passed her a white envelope._

"_Thank you so much, Maz-chan. I'll see you later." They pecked each other's cheeks, and Pan was off like a woman on a mission. She slid into the passenger seat and told her mother to go straight home..._

_*At home*_

_When, at long last, they pulled up to the house, Pan immediately knew something was wrong. Trunks' hover car was still in the driveway, not in the capsule, and he was parked crooked, like he'd just pulled in, got out, and went in the house. The driver's side door was wide, and the seatbelt was pulled away from the seat, like something was weighing it down while it was still buckled._

_Pan unbuckled her seatbelt and rushed over the car. She rounded the back bumper; heart pounding away at her ribcage like it was trying to break out of her chest. Her eyes slowly focused on the thing weighing down on the seatbelt, and she screamed. And screamed. And screamed._

_Videl leapt from the car as soon as Pan released her first scream, frightened out of her wits. As soon as she reached her, Pan fell to her knees and vomited into the grass. Videl looked at the car and felt utterly sick. She wanted to vomit too, just staring at him._

_Trunks was hanging out of the driver's side door, seatbelt still fastened, but he was barely recognizable. His face and neck were swollen in what was clearly an allergic reaction, and vomit stained the front of the lavender suit shirt that he'd worn to work that day. Crystal blue eyes stared unseeingly at the sky above. One hand was around his throat, probably a result of the asphyxiation, and the other was clinging to... his wallet? Curiosity overtaking her, Videl leaned in close to see what he'd been staring at._

_It was a small picture of Pan sleeping on the sofa. Tika was sleeping on her chest, and Kālu's head was resting on her stomach. 'He knew he was going to die...' Videl noticed that Bra was down on her knees, comforting Pan, even as tears ran heavily down her face, and Bulma was calling 9-1-1 while sobbing heavily._

_Pan was frozen as Bra hugged her, staring blankly at the vomit stained grass in front of her knees. She couldn't think, couldn't move, couldn't feel, couldn't process the world around her. All she could see was him. Her husband, her wonderful, loving husband... was dead._ _Her body shook as she struggled to come to terms with what she'd seen. How could this have happened to her? Why did it happen to her? How could Fate be so cruel as to rip him away from her when she would need him most? Here she was, pregnant and alone with two kids. She couldn't see how she could possibly cope with this. Everything around her faded to black as she fainted dead away..._

Current time...

Pan sobbed violently into her father's chest, barely aware of the fact that she was hitting him, and yelling '_WHY_', at the top of her lungs. Luckily the children were spending the night at Marron's house. Gohan grabbed her forearms and pushed her away from him so they could look each other in the eyes. Midnight met midnight, and Pan ceased her attack as her knees gave out.

She slumped to the floor, unable to do anything but sit there. She couldn't bring herself to cry anymore; her tear ducts stung and throbbed. Gohan sat beside her on the floor and she numbly crawled into his lap and curled up like she used to as a small child. Her father cradled her in his arms and hummed her lullaby, wishing for the entire world that he could get rid of his baby's pain.

For the first time in two weeks, Pan slept without a single dream or nightmare, tucked safely in her father's arms...

_One week ago..._

_Pan sat in the coroner's office, with her mother and Bra on either side of her. Bulma sat next to Bra, and Vegeta stood behind her chair, arms crossed firmly over his chest. Gohan stood behind both Pan and Videl's chairs, a hand on both of their shoulders. Goten stood behind Bra, stroking her hair comfortingly._

_Even with her family around her, she never felt so alone. Pan fought back tears as the coroner took a seat before them, a sorrowful expression on his face._

"_I'm so sorry you have to be here, Mrs. Briefs," he began, running a hand through his blonde locks, "the results for the autopsy have come back in, as well as the results for the tests we ran on the cup of coffee that his secretary gave him, as you asked. His death was a result of asphyxiation, brought on by an allergic reaction to the coffee."_

"_That's the same coffee I fix for him every morning before work, so why the hell did he have an allergic reaction to it?" Pan snapped, and Gohan squeezed her shoulder, "Relax, Pan-chan." She forced her hackles down and leaned back into her chair, "What was so different about the coffee he had at work?"_

"_Are you familiar with date-rape drugs? Roofies?" The coroner asked solemnly. When Pan nodded, he continued, "His secretary slipped a homemade batch into his coffee with the intent to take advantage of Mr. Briefs, but a chemical she used in the mix didn't agree with him. You said he called you and told you he'd felt strange, right?" Pan nodded, "He said that his secretary must've given him a bad cup of coffee."_

"_We've taken her into custody on the charges of drugging without consent, unintentional homicide, and intention to sexually assault the victim." Pan looked up at him, "is there any way she can get the death penalty?" The coroner's eyes widened, "Mrs. Briefs, I don't-"_

"_I don't see why she can't get it! She killed one of the most influential men on this fucking planet, and you're giving her a slap on the wrist! She KILLED my HUSBAND!" _

_Pan stood up, glowering down at the poor man, "She took away the love of my life, and the father of my children! You want to know something else? The day he died, I was going to tell him that I was pregnant again, that BITCH had to try and get some free sex out of him, and now he'll never get to experience the joy I felt when I found out that I was going to have his child again! If you're going to just throw her in prison, you make damn sure that she knows what she's done to this family," tears trickled eagerly down her cheeks, "she killed a husband, a father, a first born son, a best friend, a big brother... she killed an extraordinary person, and I will NEVER forgive her!" she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room._

_Pan slid down the wall outside of the room, sobbing violently into her knees. One of the officers working in the outer office noticed the small, shaking form, and went to her aid, "Mrs. Briefs?"_

_Pan looked up, "Y-yes," wiping at her eyes. She knew her makeup was utterly ruined, but she didn't have the heart to care. What did it matter, anyway?_

"_Would you like to see him?" her eyes widened, and she nodded. The officer helped her to her feet and led her to the room where they kept the bodies until it was time for them to be prepped for the funeral. He searched the names on the drawers until he reached the one he desired and pulled it out, "I'll leave you alone, now."_

_Pan waited until he left, and then rushed over to the body, whimpering like a small child. He looked so peaceful, as if he were simply sleeping. She grabbed his left hand and removed the band, pressing a small kiss to the smooth back of his hand. Oh, how she loved these hands. They'd held their children, caressed her face after harsh bouts of morning sickness, fed her exotic fruits on their honeymoon, brought her to release during passionate nights, rubbed her swollen feet during the later stages of pregnancy, and held her full belly as he kissed her belly button while their child kicked energetically. They'd loved her. She'd never have that again..._

_She curled up on the surprisingly spacious metal bed next to his corpse and snuggled up to him. The cold stiffness of his body was unfamiliar to her, but she didn't care. She needed this._

"_You're going to be a Papa again, Trunks-kun," Pan murmured, running her hands over his chest. she didn't care that it was marred from the autopsy, "I'm twelve weeks along, now, and you're missing it all," she began to cry again as she remembered her vow to him over the phone, "I broke my promise. I broke it, and I let you leave. I'm so sorry I didn't make you stay here, where you belong. If I'd gotten there sooner, you'd be alive and you'd be helping me get through this pregnancy... oh kami, baby, I'm just... kami, I let you down..." she lay on top of his body and sobbed..._

_Her father and Uncle had to bodily remove her from Trunks' body. She'd fought and screamed, trying to get them to understand that she belonged with him, but they dragged her out anyway. A little while after that, she'd fainted, and woke up at home, in her bed. Tika was sleeping, nestled in her side, and Kālu's head was on her hip. When she woke up, they did too, and they had questions; questions that she'd been avoiding for the past week._

"_Mama," Tika yawned adorably, rubbing her eyes with her little fists, "how come Papa not here?" Kālu stared up at her with sad blue eyes, and she had to look away, reminded too much of her husband. "Mama, Mama, where's Papa?" the mother bit her lip, looking to the door for help. Her mother stood there, to her relief, and made her way over to the bed._

"_Grandma, where's Papa?" Kālu asked in his cute voice, climbing onto her lap. "He's on a trip, Kālu-chan, a very long trip." Videl told him, trying to hide her pain from the little boy. It was so hard, looking at his face. He was his father's son, no doubt. "When is he coming back?" Kālu asked, looking at his mother._

"_I don't know, Kālu-chan," Pan said softly, "I just don't know..." Tika's eyes welled up with tears, and she sobbed, "I want Papa!" Pan tried to pick her up and comfort her, but little Tika wasn't having it. She squirmed and kicked at her mother, who groaned in pain as a kick struck her lower abdomen, and escaped from the room, crying at the top of her lungs._

"_Mama?" Kālu asked, worried. Why did Mama look like she was hurting? Pan bit back tears as stabbing pains began to erupt in her lower abdomen, "Mama, I need to go to the hospital..." Videl set Kālu down, "Kālu-chan, I need you to keep your Mama company while I go find your Grampa Gohan, okay?" He nodded, "Okay, Grandma." She kissed his forehead and rushed out of the room. Pan tried her best to stay quiet as the pain got worse._

"_Mama, are you okay?" Kālu asked softly. "I'm fine, Kālu-chan, just stay calm." Pan replied, stroking his hair, "You look so much like... like him." _

_Before Kālu could say anything else, his Grampa Gohan had come in, picked his mother up, and rushed out of the room, leaving him confused and sad. His Grandma Bulma came in and picked him up, "Your Mama's going to be fine, Kālu, don't worry."_

_If they'd been any slower, Pan would've lost the baby. Luckily, Marron was able to stabilize the baby, and warned Pan against trying to soothe any more of Tika's more violent tantrums._

"_If she hits you that hard again, the plug's going to be pulled on the little one." Marron said softly, "so be careful." Pan nodded, rubbing her stomach lovingly, "I'll try."_

_Out in the waiting room, Bra and Videl had given Tika a firm reprimand about hitting her mother, and the little girl was so upset._

"_You could've seriously hurt your mother, and that would've been bad, Tika." Videl said softly, "So don't kick her in the tummy anymore. Your little brother or sister could've been hurt badly." Tika's bottom lip quivered, and tears gathered in her eyes, "I sorry... I want my Papa..." Bra's heart broke as the little one began to cry again, and she scooped her up, rocking her gently, "We know, Tika... we know..." A few tears of her own trickled down her cheeks, 'We miss you so much, big brother...'_

_Half a week later..._

_Pan stared into the mirror, barely recognizing the woman before her. Thick ringlets of black silk hung to the small of her back, and she was dressed in a black pinstripe pencil skirt with a matching blazer and a navy blue blouse. Her legs were encased in sheer black stockings, and her feet donned a pair of black Yves St. Claire pumps, courtesy of her sister in law. Her makeup was dark and dramatic, and her lips were a deep, wine colored red. She didn't look like Pan at all._

"_Ready to go?"_

"_Yes." Pan turned from the mirror, grabbed her purse, and make her way to the door where her parents waited. Videl was carrying Tika in her arms, and Gohan offered her his hand. She took it, and they made their way down the stairs._

_Everyone looked up as the now-widowed wife of Trunks entered the room, and then lowered their gazes respectfully. Kālu took her free hand, and she gave him a soft smile as they headed outside to where the limo waited._

_The funeral was a private affair. _

_Pan didn't want any diplomats, paparazzi, or squealing fan girls destroying the solemnity of her husband's funeral service. She barely paid attention during the service, her eyes focused on the glossy black coffin in front of her, crowned with an array of white roses and violets. A portrait of him was set up next to it, and she took in his smile with both pain and pleasure. This was wrong. So wrong. He shouldn't have died so soon. Her children shouldn't have to bear witness to this... this horrible event. They were too young to understand why their Papa was being placed in the ground._

_Goten spoke first, but broke down in the middle of his speech, unable to continue any further. He and Trunks had been so close, closer than even brothers, and Pan's heart broke even more as Bra led him out of the church, whispering comforts in his ear. She felt so selfish, thinking of her own pain when there were others affected by this horrible loss. _

_Finally, it was her turn to speak, and that podium felt like it was light-years away, rather than a few feet. Her feet felt like blocks of katchin as she walked over to the stage. Uub helped her up the stairs and she took her position in front of the mike. And laughed. Not with humor, no, but with slight hysteria._

"_I don't know what to say," she said honestly, "I'm quite sure every here knows what an amazing person my husband was, and what a sneaky little devil he was as a child," she laughed with a bit of humor as smiles colored a few faces, "always dragging poor Goten into whatever adventure he'd thought of. If I remember correctly, they helped my mother find the dragon balls on one occasion... and ended up with Brolli trying to kill them, and my father had to come save them. To this day, no one knows what really happened when Brolli got taken down, but I'd like to believe that Grampa really was there," she gave her parents a small wink, "When I first met Trunks, I was the same age as Tika, and I fell head-over-heels in love with him. I was obsessed. He hated me at first, because, to him, I was just an irritating little brat who followed him everywhere, but he got used to me," this time, there was more laughter, "I didn't really fall in love with him until my last year of high school, when my parents and Bulma forced him to take me to prom because I refused to go with any of the boys at school. We shared our very first kiss that night..."_

"_We married right after I graduated from med school, and I was 21 at the time. Thanks to my father's genes, I managed to skip a few grades. We honeymooned in outer space, no need for details, and on our one year anniversary, I told him that Kālu was on the way. He was so happy. We came back home and began our life as a married, expectant couple. Four years after that, we were blessed with adorable little Tika." _

_Pan sighed sadly, "due to... well, this," she frowned at the casket, "he only got two years with our baby girl, six with Kālu, and none with this one," she touched her stomach with a sad grimace, "but he'll always be here... in our hearts, no matter what. We may have lost an amazing man... but Otherworld gained a wonderful angel, and we'll all see him again when our times come, and if I know my husband, he'll definitely be waiting."_

_Applause broke out, and Pan snapped out of her emotional moment and managed a smile before tears began to fall. Who was she kidding? She had an incredibly long way to go before she could ever manage to talk about Trunks like that without the help of a façade. It took all her will to speak of their life together without breaking down completely, and she knew that tonight was going to be long and painful for her._

_The service ended, and the casket was wheeled outside to be loaded into the hearse. The paparazzi and fan girls were outside waiting, held at bay by the SCPD. Pan put on her sunglasses and made her way down to the limo, carrying Tika in her arms with her face tucked into her neck to protect her from the flashing cameras. Gohan and Videl remained on either side of her, with sunglasses of their own. Goten and Bra followed behind them, with Goten carrying Geta Junior and Kālu. Bra held Goku Junior. The police kept them at bay, but that didn't stop the inane questions being hurled at Pan._

"_Mrs. Briefs, did you kill Mr. Briefs because he cheated with his secretary?"_

"_Mrs. Briefs, did Mr. Briefs fake his death and escape to the Bahamas?"_

"_Mrs. Briefs, is it true that your second child isn't Mr. Briefs'' daughter?"_

_That did it._

_Pan turned on her heel and ripped her sunglasses off, glaring at the paparazzo that dared to question Tika's paternity, "How dare you?! My husband just died, and you ask me that? You have no respect, do you?"_

_The man holding the camera backed away slightly in the face of her furious outburst, slightly ashamed of his actions, "Uh, Ma'am, I-"_

"_Save it for someone who gives a crap, you miserable waste of flesh." Vegeta, shockingly, snarled, coming to Pan's defense. Gohan grasped Pan's hand and helped her get into the limo, shielding her from the cameras. She groaned as soon as she was seated, knowing her emotional outburst would be plastered all over the rag sheets by tonight._

"_Hey, no worries, if they publish anything, we'll sue them all." Bra grasped her hand and squeezed, "I've got your back, sister." Pan smiled gratefully, "Thank you, sis." They shared a meaningful glanced, and then Bra turned around as the limo pulled away from the curb. Tika fell asleep in her arms, exhausted from the day's events..._

_*later on that night*_

_Pan's parents were sleeping in the guest room, and Bra and Goten had taken the second guest room. Tika was in her crib, and Kālu was sharing a bed with his little cousins. Pan was the only one awake right now. She kicked off her shoes and made her way up the stairs and into a room that had remained untouched for nearly two weeks now._

_His favorite jacket was still draped across the back of the chair, and she grabbed it and pressed it to her face, inhaling greedily. She draped the jacket over her front and fell asleep in his chair..._

Current time...

Pan crawled out of the hold of her father the next morning and went downstairs to heat up some coffee for the both of them, as well as Goten. She also heated up some tea for Bra, who couldn't have coffee. Goten was the first to wake up, and made his way into the kitchen, scratching his hair sleepily.

"Good morning, uncle G." Pan said softly, a small grin on her lips. "Morning niece." He yawned in reply, stretching slightly, "What's for breakfast?" she shrugged, "Don't feel like cooking much... Want to order in?" He shrugged back, "Does it matter?" she nodded in agreement, "Guess not," and went to make the call.

Goten watched her leave with a worried gaze. He knew she was putting up a façade to keep herself together for their sake, but holding it all in wasn't doing her any good. If she kept it up, she would explode, and then they'd be left to pick up of the pieces. He knew his niece well. When she loved, she loved hard, and she didn't know how to release pent up emotion properly when she was hurt.

Pan loved Trunks way more than even he could, and that was saying something. When Bra broke the news to him, a piece of him just _died_. Part of him just faded away, and he sobbed like a little baby that night, wrapped up in the comforting arms of his wife. The next day, he couldn't help but wonder how his poor niece had reacted, and he worried even more when Bra told that she had been the first to find Trunks after he died.

That day she exploded in the coroner's office, everyone in that room who didn't know how much she loved that man felt the full bore of the intensity of her love for him. It was undeniable that she was completely _his_, and that he was completely _hers_.

Ripping her away from his body had been the hardest Goten had ever had to do. She'd bawled and screamed and begged them to leave her there; to let her die with him, but that wouldn't help her, or anyone. When they finally separated her from Trunks's body, Pan just... _shut down_. She lay limp as they took her from the room, and eventually fainted from the emotion and exhaustion. It was unbearable to witness such a thing.

"Hey, I ordered..." Pan trailed off as Goten's gaze pierced her, "Goten, is something wrong?" He walked over to her and took her in his arms wordlessly. She wrapped her arms around him awkwardly, "Goten, what-" Oh kami, she hadn't been this close to anyone since before... she bit her lip to keep it from trembling as she blinked away tears, "Goten, let me go."

"Not until you let go." She knew immediately that he didn't mean that in the physical sense, "G-Goten, I-" she couldn't speak anymore. Her voice was shaking too badly, and the urge to cry overcame her in a strong wave. She pressed her face into his chest and let it all go.

**(A/N: No, she isn't by any means done grieving, but this is good progression for her.)**

Pan sobbed, she wailed, she screamed, she _bawled_. It felt so wonderful to release it all. Goten held her through it all, remaining quiet, even though she felt his tears on her forehead, allowing her wring herself of the emotions she'd been holding back and constantly reining in. she didn't even notice her parents and Bra watching the emotional scene with tears of their own.

*later*

Everyone was laid out of the floor in the living room, eating Japanese takeout for breakfast. Videl sat between Gohan's legs, and Pan's head was resting on her thigh. Goten sat next to Gohan with Bra leaned up against his chest, furiously tucking away her tempura with the ferocity of a pregnant woman.

The TV remained off, because every channel would be talking about the death of Trunks Briefs for the next few months, as well as his poor, poor wife. The fan girls would cry, and then they would set their sights on some new hottie, and Trunks and Pan would be forgotten. Pan could live with that. She was sick of not being able to go out in public without receiving piteous glances from little old ladies, and hateful ones from the fan girls who were convinced that she murdered Trunks.

The trial for his secretary would come up next week, and Pan wasn't sure if she even wanted to go anymore. Sure, she wanted her husband's killer put away for good, but if she went, that would keep her in the headlines as a '_vengeful widow_', and if she didn't go, she'd be in the headlines as a '_gold-digging heartless _whore'. Or she could sue them all. Yeah, suing sounded _good_.

It didn't matter, people would talk regardless. The only thing was that didn't give a flying fuck what they thought about her. She dealt with _her_ husband's death in _her_ own way, and if she did or didn't go to that trial, then fuck them all for thinking so lowly of her. It wasn't like they actually _knew_ her, for crying out loud. That was her hugest pet peeve; people thinking they know someone who they've watched from afar because they didn't congregate in the same social circles; nor would they _ever_, and it made her absolutely sick.

"You okay, Panny?" Bra placed a hand on her leg.

"I will be." Pan answered honestly. It would take some time and effort, but she would heal and be happy again for the sake of her children. After all, that would be what Trunks would want her to do. But until then, she would have to roll with the punches and take the good and the bad days as they came.

She had a baby to prepare for in the next six and a half months, and a life to live. She couldn't stop living because of this loss, no matter how huge, because her babies needed her. Raising three kids without a husband was going to be, no doubt, her biggest challenge yet, but she was ready to try and take it down.

_I'm going to try, Trunks_, Pan said silently, _I know you'd want me to at least try before I give in, and I will. For our children... and for me, too._ For second, she could almost imagine that Trunks was looking down on her, and she knew he was smiling.

* * *

**So, it's not quite a sad ending, but not that happy either. There are no dragon balls, hence the reason why Trunks stayed dead, and either way, I think an allergic reaction would count as a natural death, because you can't help what you're allergic to, because it's genetic. I want to include a second chapter with the trial, and the arrival of the baby, but I think those things are better left said than done. I feel like I laid things on a little too thick, so don't be afraid to let me know if you agree. Did you cry or tear up during any of this?**

**I used the K****ü****bler-Ross "Five Stages of Grief" but I didn't use Bargaining or Acceptance, or Denial for that matter, unless you count the scene where Pan was talking to Trunks' body. Pan's not at the point where she can accept his death, and I don't think I can handle writing any more of this without having an emotion meltdown. Bargaining had no place in this shot, because what would she be bargaining for if he's already dead?**

**The part where Trunks knew something was going to happen, and Pan's sense of foreboding, that stuff is real. I've seen people predict bad things like death or accidents before, just based on a feeling. Trunks' hinting was a bit too obvious, but I didn't know how to make it more subtle. It's not like you didn't know he was going to die, either. R&R, guys. Much Love, SukiChan12^-^**


	2. Overcoming the Unavoidable

**I'm late, hehe, but hey, this stuff takes time. I decided to have the trial postponed due to it being so close to Trunks' death, and this scene here will take place three months later. Pan's four months along with twins, no say on the gender until later, though. It's already been decided, so don't worry about requesting anything. I just like to "watch" you squirm, lol. Alright, enough delays, let's get it started. Btw, I'm starting it off in first person, and then I'll switch to third with alternating perspectives, depending on my mood.**

* * *

**Start Date: May 1, 2013**

* * *

**Pan's POV**

"We find the defendant... guilty of all charges."

The trial had gone by in a blur, and I couldn't help the glimmer of satisfaction as Elian's face dropped, and her lawyer hit the table in frustration. My mother reached over and squeezed my hand, and I squeezed back to let her know I was perfectly alright. The pictures of Trunks that had been used as evidence were a bit disturbing, but other than that, I was fine.

"The defendant will serve eighty years without parole or bail. Case dismissed." Judge Hathaway brought the gavel down, and everyone stood up.

I reached out and took my parents' hands and stood up. Papa kissed my forehead and tenderly rubbed my round stomach for a second before taking my hand and leading me towards the exit. Along the way, we passed the exit for the guilty defendants and I couldn't help but remember last night as Elian was led out...

_*the other night*_

"_Pan, come on, we've got to move fast." Marron quipped, and I glanced at her, taking her in for what seemed like the millionth time._

_It's been a month since she gave birth to her precious little Talen, and yet here she was, up and at them. Bra was here as well; as round as she was with pregnancy. She wasn't big for nearly full term, but she was still close to her fortieth week. How did she manage to get Goten to let her leave?_

"_Panny, come on. You're the one who wanted to do this." I snapped out of my reverie and shot her a soft glare, "I said I'd like to talk to her about- about Trunks, I didn't mean it in a literal sense!"_

_The sharp pain I felt in my chest whenever I mentioned Trunks' name struck me, and my chest caved a little to dispel the emotional ache. I was much better than I was three months ago, but there were still nights where I curled up with his favorite jacket and cried my eyes out. Even three months without use, and it still smelled as strongly of him as it did when he first took it off after a long day in the office._

_Other nights, I'd go and sleep on the floor in the kids' rooms, just wanting to be closer to them. More often than not, they would come to me first, and we'd try to fill that large, half empty bed, but ended up failing miserably every time. I still woke up every morning, reaching across the bed to cuddle with him as the sun rose, only to come up either empty, or with Tika or Kālu. Then my stupid; partly hormonal, partly grieving, tears would kick in, and I'd retreat to his office to cry myself dry._

"_Pan, any day now." Bra peeped over at me from where she was disarming the camera system in the prison._

_Why were we here? I vaguely mentioned wanting to ask Trunks' secretary; whom I once thought was a sweetheart, what she'd been thinking that day. Marron and Bra, my much too attentive girlfriends, took the vaguely made request to heart, and here we are, staging a break-in on the Japanese version of Alcatraz._

"_Fine, I'll talk to her... alone. Bra, you can talk to her once you're actually able to fit down the air shaft." I smirked amusedly at the angry blush on her cheeks. I was four months along, and actually still very petite. I expected to make a growth spurt after the trial tomorrow._

_With a soft sigh, I slid down into the air shaft and kicked in the grate covering the vent in her cell. The lights flickered out, and I heard her whimper as the soft echo of my feet hitting the floor echoed through the prison block. I stood to my full, not much, height and stepped into the shaft of moonlight coming through the barred window, "Hello, Elian."_

_Elian Grey was a beautiful woman, with her long, thick, wavy blonde hair and large, sparkling blue eyes. She had a pair of plump, pale pink lips that Bra had playfully referred to as "cock-sucking" lips when we came to the office to see Trunks once, and a pair of legs a mile long. None of her glamour showed now, as she was clothed in a drab grey coverall with a pair of white socks and black, general shoes. Her hair was tied in a neat ball at the nape of her neck, and her face was devoid of make up._

"_Mrs. Briefs, I- what are you doing here?"_

_I smirked lightly at her stuttering, "No reason, just... admiring the scenery. Nice place, you've got here." I said softly, eyeing her calmly._

_I bet she wasn't stuttering like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar when she poured that homemade date rape bull shit in Trunks' coffee, a cold voice hissed from the back of my mind, but I pushed it down. I didn't come here for vengeance. I came for closure._

"_So... tomorrow's the big day. Are you nervous?" just because I came here for closure doesn't mean I can't toy with her and screw with her head. She blinked at me, and I chuckled softly, "Of course you are, I mean, you did drug and murder the most influential man in the world."_

"_Mrs. Briefs..." Elian trailed off, "I'm so sorry. Really I am. You see, that day, my boyfriend of five years had cheated on me with another woman, and I just... I wanted someone to help me release the anger and betrayal I felt. Your husband was the first person that came to mind, so I made the- the drug and put it in his coffee that morning. If- if I knew that it would kill him, I would've never done it. I swear."_

_I watched the tears run down her face for a few seconds, "So you decided that there was no better way to get over your pain than by forcing a happily married father of two to fuck you?" Fuck closure, I'm grilling this bitch._

"_I wasn't in my right mind-"_

"_You couldn't think straight when it came to picking Trunks out, but you had the decency of mind to create a homemade date-rape drug and put it in his coffee? You must think I'm an idiot," I snapped, "I've been married to him for what would've been eight years, and I see women like you every day. Little bubbly blonde secretaries that fawn over my husband while he's working, but scatter like cockroaches when his main squeeze; myself, comes to eat lunch with him. I eat little skanks like you for breakfast."_

"_You see, you all think you've got something over on me because you see him at the office every day, but whose house and bed did he come home to every night after a long day of work? Mine. Whose children did he tuck in at night? Ours. Who did he make love to every night until the sun came up? Me. You see, even if he had the stupid idea to fuck any of you, that's all it would've been; fucking. With us; with me, it's lovemaking. You never had a chance. He was; and always will be, mine, and you were foolish to think otherwise." I snarled, glaring down at her._

_Elian finally dropped her innocent act and narrowed her blue eyes at me, "You aren't suited for him, and you never were. Why he would marry some short brunette with bad hair, I'll never know. He deserved a real woman. I'm ashamed that he died without bedding one."_

_My hand itched to curl into a fist and break her pretty little face. Instead, I smirked, "The only real woman in this cell is me. I'm not the one with bags of silicone in my tits and ass. This," I gestured to my curvaceous; though rounded, body, clothed in all black, "is what I was born with. I thank my mother for the big thighs and hips. I can't say the same for you. I bet you were a scrawny red head with bad acne and glasses before you became a surgery addict."_

"_Here's a little secret: tomorrow, you're sure to get life. My mother in-law made sure of that, with all the evidence she scrounged up at your apartment; hole in the wall, and in your desk. You have a mega-shrine to my husband in your apartment, and this could easily be bought off as a passionate murder, rather than a normal homicide. They'll question your sanity, and then you'll get locked away for the rest of your miserable life so your madness won't be unleashed on mankind again."_

_Elian's jaw fell, "there's no way- no! You're lying!" I patted her on the head, "make yourself at home, dearie; looks like you'll be in for quite a spell. I'll see you in court tomorrow."_

_*the next morning*_

_I woke up to the sensation of my mother's fingers running through my hair, and her soothing voice humming a lullaby from my childhood. I sighed softly and leaned into her touch, "Mama..."_

"_Darling, it's time to get up. We have to get you ready for the trial tomorrow." Mama kissed my forehead and got off of the bed, "I'll cook breakfast and get the kids dressed. You take care of your-"_

"_We'll help her get ready, Videl." Two overly perky voices called out, and my morning mood soured instantly._

_I nearly groaned as my two ride-or-dies nosed their way into the room and headed straight for my wardrobe. Mama laughed softly and left the room, leaving poor, pregnant me at their mercy. Bra threw a black pea coat with a full skirt on the bed, along with a sapphire blue pencil skirt dress, and black stockings. Marron set a pair of sapphire blue pumps at the foot of the bed._

"_Go shower while we pick out jewelry, make up, and hair." Bra ordered handing me my favorite robe. I got out of bed with a yawn, took the robe, and disappeared into the bathroom..._

_*after the shower*_

_Bra applied a heat protection serum to my hair and attacked it with a blow dryer, flat iron, and a curling iron, leaving me with full, glossy curls that bounced with every movement of my head._

_Once my hair was done, Marron applied my make-up, which consisted of deep, dark eye liner with a cat curl at the corners, sparkling blue shadow on my eyelids, blended carefully with a shadow that was just a bit darker than my own skin tone, and only carried a slight shimmer. She applied a bit of pink blush to my cheek bones, and then coated my lips in a fiery red layer of gloss._

"_Now," Marron capped the mascara, "go get dressed, and put on the jewelry we laid out for you."_

"_Yes, drill sergeant." I joked, and then stripped down._

_I put on my undies; specially designed to not show any pantie lines while still managing to be comfy, and then slid into the dress. It fit like a glove, and I found that I liked the way it molded to my figure. I slipped into the silky stockings and put on the shoes before examining my jewelry._

_In place of my four star ball necklace was another gift from my husband. It was a sapphire and diamond snowflake hanging on a silver chain. The earrings were simple sapphire studs, and the bangles were plain silver. I put everything on and then slipped my feet into the shoes._

"_You look beautiful."_

_I jumped and glanced towards the door. My Uncle blushed sheepishly, "Sorry, Pancake." I smiled softly at him, "it's alright. We're fine," and rubbed my bump softly. The baby fluttered around inside of me before relaxing._

_My Uncle walked over to me and enveloped me in a warm embrace. I sighed into his chest and squeezed him in return, absorbing the comfort and love he exuded. I felt a soft kiss on my temple, and then he pulled away from me and passed me my coat and my purse, "come on downstairs."_

_My hand found his, and we headed down the stairs. Everyone looked up, smiling as we entered the living room. I blushed slightly and kissed Uncle G's cheek before moving to the table to eat._

"_Wow, ladies, you did a lovely job on Panny." Mama commented as she laid a plate in front of me. Papa squeezed my hand gently, "you look lovely." I smiled sheepishly and began to eat._

_*after breakfast*_

_Soon, too soon, it was time to head to the court house, and I was dreading facing the paparazzi again._

"_Pan, come on." Papa called, holding the backdoor of the limo open for me. I walked calmly to the car and got in, pulling Tika onto my lap as I slid across the leather seat. Kālu got in behind me, and then Papa closed the door and got in on the row in front of us with Mama. Bra and Goten were in the row in front of them with little Goku and Vegeta, and then there was the driver. Aunt Bulma, Vegeta, Grandma, Grampa, Marron, Uub, and their kids were in the limo behind us._

_When he was sure everyone was settled in, the driver pulled away from the curb, headed for the courthouse. I kissed the top of Tika's head and ran a hand through Kālu's silky lavender hair, trying to relax._

_We reached the courthouse sooner than what I was ready for and I hugged Tika to my chest as the driver got out and came around to open my door. I stepped out of the car, sunglasses perched on my face, and the paps went wild; screaming questions and other things. The yelling was ignored as I made my way up the steps of the courthouse with Tika in my arms and Kālu's hand in my free one._

_We calmly filed into the court room, taking up the rows on the opposite side of the room from where the defendant sat. My mother was on one side of me, Tika perched on her lap, and Kālu was nestled between me and Papa._

"_Mrs. Briefs."_

_A man I didn't recognize walked over to us and reached over the wall to take my hand and raise it to his lips, "you're absolutely glowing this morning."_

"_Uh... who are you?" I asked, surprised._

"_I'm Jayden Francois, Miss Grey's lawyer. Your skin carries such a glimmer to it. You're a masterpiece to behold, and it's no wonder Mr. Briefs chose you as his wife." He ran a hand over his slicked down, brown hair._

"_Choosing me would indicate that I didn't have a choice in marrying him. I was more than willing to because I loved him. I think the term you should've used was 'falling for' me. Oh, and I'm four months pregnant with my dead husband's twins; if you're wondering where the glow is coming from. In other words; no, I'm not interested in meeting for dinner next Saturday at eight." I replied smoothly, and Papa stifled a snicker with a cough._

"_Oh, I'm sorry." Jayden stuttered, and I laughed, "I know I look great for a mother of two; soon to be four, but my husband just passed away three months ago. I'm not interested, nor will I be anytime soon."_

_Jayden blushed and left us alone to go place his briefcase on the table on Elian's side of the room. A small, red headed woman with large blue eyes and freckled skin walked over to me and placed a hand on top of mine._

"_I'm so sorry for my daughter's actions and the pain she's caused you." I gave her a sad smile and squeezed her hand in return, "Thank you so much, Mrs. Grey." She gave me a quick peck on the cheek and returned to her seat on the other side of the court room._

_Our attentions were drawn to the side door as a haggard Elian was led in by three police men. I watched coolly as she walked in, clothed in the bright orange jumpsuit that all inmates wore._

_Mama stifled a growl of irritation as she eyed our side of the court room or; more specifically, me. I met her gaze unflinchingly, face blank of any emotion. Her fishy blue eyes slid over my children and my stomach, and I had the urge to hide them and my rounded belly away from her. Another part of me wallowed in the guilt and remorse that flashed in her eyes when she looked at Kālu; my sweet little mini-Trunks._

"_Mama, is that the lady who took Papa away?" Tika asked sadly, and I leaned over to kiss her forehead, "hush, baby."_

"_She took Papa away, Mama, why isn't she in trouble?" Kālu asked eagerly, and I ran a hand through his hair, "she's about to get timeout, hon, just wait..."_

*current time*

Evidence was shown, testimonies were given, and cross examinations were done. In the end, she got as close to life as the judge could give her. The police herded Elian back through the way she came in, and she shot me a glare as the door closed behind her, "you deserved to lose him, you bitch!"

My heart trembled as an ache set in and her words hit me like knives. The air in my lungs was displaced with a sharp whoosh of air from between my lips, and Mama placed a hand on my shoulder, "Panny?"

Marron knelt down in front of me and dabbed at my cheeks with a napkin. _Am I crying?_ I felt the warm liquid flowing from my eyes, felt the quiver of my lips, and felt the building sob in my throat.

"Baby girl, please don't cry." Marron whispered, grasping my hands, "she's just a stupid bitch; she doesn't know anything." I bit my lip to keep the sobs in, but soon that wasn't enough. Marron sat on the bench and pulled me into her arms as my hormones began to take over.

"Ugh, the nerve of that bitch..." I heard Bra mutter angrily as she rubbed my back to comfort me, and then she gave a soft moan of pain. I glanced up, "Bra?"

"I think I'm about to go into labor..." she replied, clutching her bulbous stomach. Goten moved to her side and placed a hand on her belly, "Do you want to go to the hospital?" Bra grunted and nodded roughly, "please."

I wiped my face hastily, and grabbed my coat, shrugging into it. We herded all the kids together and headed for the door. Goten was in the lead, cradling his wife in his arms. Goku and Vegeta skipped behind him, whooping about their new little sisters.

*seventeen hours later*

Bra lay in bed, sweaty but beaming as she cradled the two tiny baby girls her arms. Both had blue hair, but in two totally different shades. One had Bra's lovely, rich cerulean, the other had a deep, mysterious indigo, a mix of her parents' hair colors. Both had those beautiful crystal blue eyes that made me want to curl up somewhere and bawl.

I felt a twinge of jealousy as Bra and Goten cuddled with their newborn daughters, and immediately felt wretched for it. What right did I have to begrudge them their happiness? Yet and still, I never, more than right then, wished so much for my husband to be at my side again. My arms wrapped around my torso, and I suddenly felt uncomfortable in the room full of loving couples. I made sure no one was watching me, and then I slipped out into the hall, desperate to be alone.

My feet guided me blindly out of the hospital, and I was barely aware of myself as I unlocked my car, slid into the driver's seat, kicked off my shoes, and started it up. My hands caressed the soft taupe leather of the steering wheel as I pulled out of the parking lot and drove down the street. I was numb, building a barrier between myself and the feelings of regret and sorrow that were trying to tear me to shreds.

_I will not break, damn it, I refuse to be ripped apart like this..._

Yet and still, through my barrier, the tears began to fall, and my vision began to cloud up. I didn't stop driving, though. The lights of the city were left behind me as I entered open country. The hills and fields of flowers and vegetables flew by in a blur. I couldn't stop yet; not until I reached my destination.

I almost missed the turnoff; the little dusty dirt road that led to the place where we spent a fifth wedding anniversary. The dirt road was surrounded by trees and went on like that for a mile until it opened up into a round clearing, in the middle of which lay a homey cottage. The multi colored bricks glowed golden in the light of the rising sun, and I dimly wondered how long the drive had been as I stumbled out of the car barefoot.

I pulled the key out from behind a loose brick at the base of the house, right next to the doorframe, and let myself in. Cool air conditioning met my damp cheeks as I stepped inside and shut the door, leaning my forehead against the cool cedar wood.

"Mrs. Briefs? I didn't know you were coming."

I jumped at the soft voice and turned around. Mira, our housekeeper, was in charge of keeping the cottage up and running in good shape, because we never really planned out any trips we made to our little piece of heaven. She had a luxurious suite towards the back, complete with a kitchen and all the necessities she'd ever need.

The small red headed woman's pale brown eyes lit up with concern as she took me in. I was still wearing the outfit from the court hearing, though it was mussed and rumpled, my makeup was probably all over my face, and my hair was matted and tangled up, and my stockings were probably torn from the rocks and pebbles outside.

"Mira, would you mind leaving me alone for a while. I just need to freshen up a bit." I said softly, my voice hoarse from all the crying I'd done.

"Of course, Mrs. Briefs. I'll lay out some more comfortable clothes for you to put on after you shower." Mira smiled and headed up the stairs, most likely to start up the shower, put out my favorite body wash and shampoo, light a few lavender scented candles for me, and lay out fresh clothes. That was one of the reasons why I loved having her around. She always went above and beyond; Trunks paid her handsomely for it, and she deserved every cent.

I removed my jewelry and placed it in the crystal bowl on the side table near the door. It was usually reserved for keys, but I really didn't care at the moment.

I made my way up the stairs and into the master bedroom. The color scheme was pastel yellow and green with white accents. I loved the room so much because it was so vibrant and full of life.

Mira emerged from the bathroom and grabbed a bundle of clothing from the bed and laid them in my arms, "I ran a bath for you instead of a shower, and I opened the curtains so you could enjoy the view of the mountains. Have a wonderful bath, Mrs. Briefs." She patted my arm and left the room, shutting the door softly behind her.

_Probably off to cook breakfast, bless her heart_, I smiled softly and stripped down. I grabbed my terry cloth robe from the head board of the bed and put it on. Before getting into the tub, I had to wash off my makeup.

When my face was clean of runny mascara and smeared lipstick, I took off the robe and slipped into the wonderfully hot water, sighing as the heat relaxed my body. I settled in for a soak, taking the majestic mountain range...

*after the bath*

I braided my wet hair and pinned it up on the top of my head before dressing in the clothes she'd picked for me. White yoga pants and a loose, pale green button down that flowed around my torso. She'd also picked soft, comfort-made underwear, and I felt free as I left the room, headed towards the kitchen.

As I'd expected, Mira had just finished cooking... but I didn't expect for my parents to be sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for me. Their worried expressions melted into relief and slight anger, and I instantly felt horrid for running off and leaving the children.

"I know," I began, cutting them off, "what I did was selfish, and I didn't think about anyone but myself last night. I just... I really couldn't stand there and watch everyone with their partner and not feel... I just felt excluded and uncomfortable... and unwanted, so I thought that I should just leave, so I did. I just got in the car and started driving, and I wasn't even sure where I was headed, because I just wanted to get away, and I ended up he-"

My mother placed a hand over my mouth, "You're rambling, darling. We know it hurts you to see everyone happy and with someone when you're alone, and we didn't mean to hurt you, but you are _never_ unwanted. I don't want to hear you say that ever again. We love you so much, and we'd never exclude you." she used her thumbs to wipe away the tears that had been unknowingly falling down my cheeks.

"Mira called us and told us you were here, so we came down here to check on you because she said you looked horrible when you came in." Papa walked over to us and kissed me on the forehead, "we just wanted to make sure you three were okay." I placed a hand on my stomach, "we're fine."

"Eat something, baby, you look famished." Mama made me sit down and Mira placed a plate in front of me. "Yes, Mama." I said wryly, and picked up my fork and began to eat under her watchful gaze.

*after breakfast*

"I think you should stay out here for the rest of your pregnancy, sweetie." Mama said softly as we lounged around in the living room, "You look so much less stressed than you did in the city, and this place isn't nearly as far away from us as your house. I think the country air could do you a world of good."

"I'll have to pull Kālu and Tika out of school..." I murmured, and Papa spoke up, "your grandmother wouldn't mind homeschooling him and Tika. You need a break from life in the city, Panny."

"I know, I know, you're right. I feel much better out here, and there aren't as many reminders of Trunks out here." I conceded, "I'll stay here, then."

I couldn't go outside for weeks after Trunks died. The driveway gave me nightmares, and everytime and looked at it, I could see him in his car... his unseeing blue eyes...

I shivered involuntarily, and Mama looked at me, "are you okay?" I nodded, "just... bad memories." She slid down the couch and kissed my forehead, "you relax and recuperate, and we'll go pick up Tika and Kālu from Bulma's."

"I'll go get them, you stay with her." Papa stood up, "I'll be back around eleven." He kissed both of us on the forehead and left the house. I felt his ki leaving the area and laid my head on Mama's chest. I felt her hand in my hair, and the other resting on my side. A low hum emanated from her throat, and I faintly recognized it as my childhood lullaby before drifting into blessed slumber...

* * *

**Finish Date: May 25, 2013**

* * *

**Finally! I'll do the birth of the twins next chapter, and only then will you know the genders. Here's a little hint; Bra mentioned something about it in the first chapter. Have fun figuring it out; it's not hard at all, and enjoy the read! SukiChan12^-^**

**P.S. I sent Pan out into the country because she deserves a break from the life as Trunks Briefs' widow and granddaughter of the World's Savior. There will be several flashbacks of Pan and Trunks' time spent there in the next chapter, which means a few steamy scenes.**


	3. Facing the Undeafeated

**The moment you've all been waiting for. The birth of Pan's twins. After this, there will be two more chapters, both of which will be very important, and involve some big time skips. Do look forward to those, please. Now, on to the chapter. This starts four months after the last chapter, placing Pan at eight months.**

**Pan's POV**

"Mira, could you help me up, please?" I asked kindly, reaching out my hands for her to help me. She smiled and took my hands, pulling me to my feet with two tugs.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" she asked, slightly worried. "No, no, I'm fine, thank you." I reassured her, "is my mother here, yet?"

My mother was coming to spend the day with me while the kids were at Grandma Chi's. Bra, Marron, and their kids were coming along, and I was excited to see them, though somewhat nervous. This would be the first time I'd seen anyone other than Mira, my parents, or my kids while I'd been isolated in the country.

I didn't want to face Bra after walking out on her during one of the most important moments in her life, after all, I was supposed to be her best friend.

Also, I was having a bit of a weak moment, and the nightmares of Trunks' death had started to plague my sleeping hours, and my daytime hours. Randomly, the image of him dead in his car would pop up and I'd freak out and then it would suddenly fade away, leaving me feeling horrible inside.

Along with the visions and nightmares came horrible migraines that I couldn't find a cause for, other than the stress. I wasn't handling the pregnancy very well. Once I got past my forth month, the morning sickness came back with a vengeance. It turns out I had emesis gravidarum, and a bad case at that. I threw up anything, and I mean _anything_ I ate and even my drinks were coming back up.

"She's on her way, and she said she filled your prescription." Mira replied, "Let me change your IV bag." I glanced at the little rack rolling behind me, carrying the nutrients that I needed since my babies weren't allowing me to get. It wasn't their fault; emesis gravidarum was common with twin pregnancies, and Bra had it in her early months of pregnancy with both sets of twins. The bag of fluids was almost empty.

"Alright." She carefully removed the needle from my hand and headed into the kitchen to replace the bag with a fresh one. I returned to the couch and took a seat, waiting for her to return. I heard the front door open and turned around, "Mama?"

"Hey." Bra stood in the threshold to the living room, toting two car seats. My nieces lay inside, snoozing quietly.

"Hi." I said softly, feeling awkward. "Hey, I know you were feeling down, and you had every right to leave because you were uncomfortable. There's no need to feel guilty." Bra said softly, coming around the sofa. She set one of the car seats down next to me on the sofa and placed the other one on the floor. The twin on the sofa was the one with the dark blue hair.

"What's her name?" I asked softly, caressing her soft cheek. "That's Koia. She's beautiful, isn't she?" Bra asked softly, kneeling down to unbuckled the second baby from her car seat, "This little mini-me is Kaida."

"She's gorgeous. Hi, beautiful," I cooed, as her blue eyes fluttered open, "hi baby, nice to meet you." she giggled and cooed at me as I gently unbuckled her from her seat and cradled her against my huge stomach.

"So," Bra asked softly, "how's the pregnancy been treating you?" I sighed, "Emesis gravidarum rampant. I've had it for the last four months, and I'm on an IV because I can't keep anything down."

"Here's the new bag- Hi, Mrs. Son." Mira came in with the fresh bag and hooked it onto the rack before reaching for my arm. I shifted my niece over to my other arm and gave her my other one. She carefully pushed the needle back into place, and I winced at the sting, "if you keep it up, the bruise will be permanent."

"Well, we have to keep you fed somehow." My mother said sardonically as she came in with my father, my kids, Marron, and her kids. Little Vegeta and Goku were also with them.

"Nice if you to join us, Mama." I giggled and hugged Koia to my chest, "did she drag you along, Papa?" Papa chuckled and shook his head, "I wanted to come along for your sake. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling better today, if that's what you're askin- _ooh..._" I hunched over in pain as a false contraction ripped through me. Marron took Koia from me and placed a hand on my shoulder, "early contractions?"

"Yeah. I'm alright, guys." I breathed; smiling at everyone's tensed up expressions, "stop freaking out over lil ole me."

"Well," my mother said sarcastically, "you could give birth any day now, so what's not to worry about?" I rolled my eyes and she giggled at me, "When people love you, they worry about you."

"I can see that." I snipped, rubbing my belly slowly as the twins wriggled and kicked inside of me. "Relax," I crooned, "calm down. Mommy's not going anywhere." They slowly tapered off with the kicks, and I smiled.

"Alright, since we can't take you out anywhere because of your imminent birth, we're going to pamper you and give you a spa day before the little munchkins get here." Bra said excitedly, grabbing my hands, "now come on, we've got to get you up the stairs first."

"I don't think I can make it up there, Blue." I said softly, looking pointedly at my belly, "two someone's are holding me back."

"I'll carry her, Bra." Papa volunteered, walking over to me. I grasped his hands and let him pull me to my feet before wrapping my arms around his neck. My mother moved the IV rack as he scooped me up and headed towards the stairs.

"I used to be able to sprint up these stairs, you know?" I said to my belly, smirking softly, "but then you two came along, and I can't even get halfway without breaking a sweat." There were two distinct thumps from within my womb, and I snorted, "yeah, I realize you had nowhere else to go, but you could've been a little bit more lenient on your poor mom."

Papa set me down outside of my bedroom, and I grabbed ahold of my IV rack and waddled inside. Something didn't feel right as I made my way over to the bed. The sound of Bra's horrified gasp, and my father's curse made me turn around, "Wha-"

There was a trail of blood and smeared bloody footprints following me across the hardwood floor. A sharp, hot pain ripped through my abdomen, and I fell to the ground with a garbled screech. I could see more blood leaking out of me as I sat on the floor, feeling like my stomach was being pulverized and liquefied, pureed, grinded, you name it, I felt it.

"Come on, we have to get her to the-" everything went black, and then came back; tinted red with what I could only guess was the pain. I screamed again as everyone floundered over me, trying to figure out what to do. I blacked out again, and when I came to, I was in my mother's car, and Bra was pressing a mass of towels between my legs to staunch the blood flow.

"I think the placenta may have detached." Bra said softly, and I realized that my head was in my mother's lap. I grunted softly, "Ma-Mama?" Her face loomed over mine, and she clutched my hand, "baby, are you alright?"

"No... what's wrong with them? Are they gonna be okay?" I gasped, running a hand over my stomach, trying to see if they would kick. I felt a faint thump, and then nothing. It scared me. At that moment we pulled into the hospital. Papa leapt out of the driver's seat and carefully pulled me out of the backseat as a heavy contraction ripped through me. I screamed and blacked out again...

**No POV**

Videl watched numbly as her daughter was wheeled away on a stretcher, the white sheets rapidly turning a dark red as blood poured out of her. Gohan wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek, "she'll be alright, Vi."

"She's our little fighter, Gohan." Videl whispered, "Remember when she was born? She came almost three and half months too early, and the doctors were sure she wouldn't make it to her first birthday, and yet we got to see her first day of school, her first match in the tenkaichi, her graduation; from high school and med school, we saw her walk down the aisle, and carry and give birth to her first baby. She's proven those stupid doctors wrong, time and time again, so why should now be any different?"

"You're right, Vi. It shouldn't be an different this time around." Gohan hugged her to his chest and pressed his face into her hair, "no different."

*down the hall*

The doctors stretched Pan's arms out on the table and strapped them down. They pinned up a blue sheet to keep the operation site out of her view, and then pushed her hospital gown up to bear her full rounded abdomen before painting it down with iodine.

"We have to hurry up and get those babies out. Heart rates are dropping fast." They quickly pressed the mask to her face to keep her under before making the fist incision. The line of red began to bead with blood, but it was quickly cauterized before it could affect vision. The opening was stretched until the womb was visible, and then the cut on the womb was made.

"Alright, we've got a lot of heavy bleeding. Possibility of a full hysterectomy afterwards." The doctor running the operation reported, "I have a visual on baby A. Ready to extract."

"We're ready for extraction." A nurse said firmly, arms out for the infant. The doctor worked her hands into the opening, and, with a bit of effort, pulled the first twin out of the opening. A soft wail rang out as she placed the infant in the nurse's arms, "it's a girl." The nurse nodded and cut the cord before hurrying over to one of two plastic baby beds with the crying baby.

"Alright, baby B has the cord around its neck. Hold on." With gentle hands, the doctor loosened the cord, gently shushing the wriggling infant, "hold on, darling, I've got you." She removed the baby from the womb and laid her in the arms on the second nurse, "alright, now let's close her up and get her into the recovery wing."

*meanwhile*

"She had girls, too." Bra giggled, "I guess I jinxed her." Goten rolled his eyes at his wife and pressed a kiss to her temple. Koia and Kaida slept peacefully in their pouches on their parent's front while they checked up on the newborn twin girls. Both were crowned with a head of downy lavender strands, and each had a matching tail. It couldn't be said whose eyes they'd gotten, because both of them were sleeping soundly.

"When is Pan coming out of the OR?" Goten asked softly. A nurse, who'd been coming in to check on the twins, smiled welcomingly as she edged past Bra to look at the infants, "they're closing her up now, but it can't be said as to when she'll wake up."

"That's good. Can you tell us what happened to her?" Bra asked worriedly, looking away from the babies to face the nurse.

"I'm sorry, but that information can only be released to her parents." The nurse said, truly sorry for her inability to dispense any information on their friend. "That's alright; they should be in here soon." Bra said softly.

At that moment, Videl and Gohan came in and walked over to Bra and Goten, looking for their youngest grandbabies. "Oh... they're so beautiful." Videl cooed, stroking their cheeks gently. "Both girls complete with the cutest little lavender tails." Bra gushed, running her finger through the fur of one of the baby's tails. The nurse looked a little confused at the occurrence of tails, but apparently, it must have been a common genetic defect amongst the family.

The baby wriggled and whined at the disturbance, opening familiar crystal blue eyes. She opened her little mouth and wailed softly. "Oh, it's alright, baby." Videl cooed, scooping the little one up with care and cradling her gently. Her little cries tapered off into little whimpers as her grandmother rocked her and murmured comforts.

Gohan picked up the other baby, already noting little differences between the two to tell them apart later, when Pan picked names for the two of them. Two doctors came into the private nursery, whispering furiously amongst themselves. Both stopped when they came upon the family.

"Mr. and Mrs. Son, may we have a word with you?"

"Which Mr. and Mrs.?" Bra asked jokingly, and Goten nudged her. "Excuse my wife; she only said that because my brother and I am both Mr. Son." Both Doctor's laughed, and the one who did Pan's cesarean teased Bra, "Well, I'd definitely be concerned if you were the one who gave birth to Mrs. Briefs. We need her parents."

Gohan and Videl put the infants back in their bed, and smiled as their tails intertwined before following the doctors from the room. The two baby girls settled in for a nap under the watchful gazes of their aunt and uncle.

*meanwhile*

"I'm Doctor Isabella Stevens-Moreno, and I did Pan's cesarean .It's common procedure for an MRI to be done on a patient who's suffered a large blood loss. We have to make sure that they didn't sustain any brain damage from the lack of blood flow to the neural center. When we did the scan, however, we came across something strange in her brain. Has she been complaining of anything that might seem unnatural to you, like say, seeing things out of the corner of her eye, or even up close?" The female doctor asked softly.

"She daydreamed a lot during the last few months of her pregnancy, and she told me that she'd been seeing Trunks' death in a lot of her daydreams. I chalked it up to the stress from the pregnancy and his passing and thought nothing of it. Should I have been concerned?" Videl asked worriedly, looking up at her husband.

"We found a mass in an inoperable area of her brain. We can go in and test it to see if it's malignant or benign now, if you wish, but, judging by what you've told me, I'm leaning towards metastatic melanoma." Dr. Moreno told the worried parents softly.

"Inoperable as in she's likely to die if you try to get the mass out?" Gohan asked softly, his arm tightening around Videl's waist. Both Doctors nodded solemnly.

"I'm afraid that if it is stage IV melanoma, then we'll have to let the disease run its course. If she's one of the lucky ones, then she'll manage to reach a pretty old age before the disease can take her. If not... it's very likely that the melanoma will spread to her organs, and then... you know the rest." Dr. Stevens-Moreno flinched, and her partner; and husband, Dr. Moreno, took over.

"She can do chemotherapy if she likes, but most who make it to their golden years are the ones who don't bother." He grinned humorlessly, "The stress of chemo usually is the reason why the disease spreads quicker, in my opinion, and Mrs. Briefs has more than enough on her plate. Shall we run the test now, or wait until she awakens to explain everything to her?"

"Definitely wait. Won't you have to remove some hair to get to the mass? I don't think she'll like to wake up to some hair missing." Videl joked. Right then, a nurse entered the room, "Mrs. Briefs is awake, Doctor Moreno."

Pan's POV

My limbs felt heavy and my mind was fogged with kami knows what. I blinked slowly as my surroundings came into focus, trying to remember why my body felt so much lighter. The memories slammed into me hard, and I began floundering, trying to sit up. A nurse came up to me and pushed me back down to the mattress, "relax, Mrs. Briefs, you're perfectly fine."

I began screaming obscenities at her, even though I wasn't sure what was coming out of my mouth, I knew it had something to do with my babies. Where were they, why weren't they here, and were they healthy. She tried to soothe me, but I wasn't having it. I wanted to see them for myself. My mother walked into the room and I deflated instantly, duly noting a tugging sensation in my lower abdomen.

Ignoring the protests of the nurse and my parents, I ripped through my thin paper gown and gasped at the bright red, irritated vertical line of stitched together skin. My eyes shot to the nurse, and I snapped, "What the hell did you do to them?"

"Pan, relax. You had an emergency cesarean because your placenta detached. No need to bite the poor nurses' head off." Papa told me soothingly, and I moaned, "I feel heavy and numb."

"That would be pain medication." A pleasant looking woman with black hair and grey eyes said softly, "I'm Dr. Isabella Stevens-Moreno, the doctor who performed your cesarean. I'm happy to inform you that both of your baby girls were born safe and healthy." I breathed a sigh of relief, "can I see them?"

"Not just yet. There's another matter we need to discuss." The man standing next to her, a tall guy with blue eyes and brown hair, said solemnly, "and I'm Dr. Rico Moreno. Her husband, if you're wondering." Isabella snickered and hit his arm, "I think our last names are a dead giveaway, dear."

I couldn't help but smile at their innocent couple banter. It reminded me so much of Trunks and I when we first got married. I managed to ignore the hot stab of longing and pain in my chest as I stared at the doctors curiously. What more did they have to tell me, other than the fact that I had a hole in my abdomen, and my babies were somewhere in this hospital.

**(A/N: I tweaked the logistics of metastatic melanoma for a reason, because I'm not ready for Pan to die yet. I want that to come a bit later, when her children are older. I don't know whether or not they do an MRI, CAT, or CT scan for people who have lost a lot of blood to check for brain damage, but they had to find the mass somehow. People with stage IV melanoma tend to hallucinate and see people that have died, meaning she'll probably start seeing Trunks as the disease gets more widespread.)**

"Alright, Mrs. Briefs. It's common procedure for us to do a scan on your brain to check for brain damage, since you lost a lot of blood. We did the scan shortly after delivering your babies, and we found something." Isabella began cautiously, and I frowned.

"I have brain damage?" I asked incredulously, and my mother pushed a few strands of hair out of my face, "no baby, relax and listen." I heaved a sigh of relief and looked at the doctors worriedly, waiting for them to continue.

"We found a sizeable mass in an operable area, but," Rico said, halting my cry of dismay, "we don't know whether or not it's malignant or benign. We'd have to go in and take a sample to know, and doing that would involve removing some of your beautiful hair. Not a significant amount, just a small patch towards the back of your head." Isabella said softly, and then placed a gentle hand on top of mine, "your mother tells me you've been having vivid, realistic daydreams involving your husband's death. How often have you had them, and, if possible, could you tell me if you have seen _him_ alive and healthy?"

"I have them almost every day, and I haven't..." I trailed off, staring at the open door in shock. I faintly heard Rico curse.

Trunks leaned in the open door, smiling lovingly at me. He wore his favorite lavender shirt, a pair of silver slacks, and a matching tie. His favorite jacket was lung over his... shoulder. That's when it hit me. He wasn't real. That jacket was at home, on my bed, and he wasn't even wearing it the day he died.

"You're not real..." I managed to whisper, and felt a horrible ache in my chest as his beautiful smile faltered, "Pan, I-"I shook my head vehemently, "you're _not_ real..." my hands reached up to grasp my head, but my mother stopped me, and when I looked up again, my husband was gone.

"This is more serious than I thought." Isabella said softly, looking at her husband, "I don't think that test will be necessary." My mother began to pat my cheeks with a piece of tissue, and I realized that I'd begun crying. I pressed my face into her neck and sobbed like a child, letting my mother whisper sweet comforts in my ear.

"W-what do I-I ha-have?" I managed to ask shakily. "You're showing blatant signs of stage IV melanoma, or metastatic melanoma." Rico replied, "In the fourth stage, hallucinations begin, and there's a possibility of the cancer spreading elsewhere."

Mama stroked my hair, "sweetie, you have options, and there's a chance that it won't get to that point." Isabella nodded, "it's mandatory that we, as doctors, offer you chemotherapy, but it's a stressful process, and you have more than enough on you plate. Most patients with stage IV melanoma manage pretty well without it. I've seen some manage to live a full lifespan without the chemo, and you show very good signs of managing to last that long. The only lasting effects with be, of course, the hallucinations, thanks to the tumor in your brain."

"I just have to live with seeing my husband every day, knowing he's a figment of my imagination and not the real deal? That's _great_." I said sarcastically, wiping my face clean, "can I meet my babies now?"

*a bit later*

"How are you feeling?" Bra asked softly, brushing a hair away from my face. _Oh, I'm fan-freaking-tastic, Bra, there's a tumor in my head that makes me see my husband at irregular intervals, I have a sewn up gape in my uterus, and I'm slowly dying, thanks to said-mass that is making me see things that aren't really there_.

Instead of spewing the viscous things that were on my mind, I told her, "I'm feeling a bit bogged out from my pain meds, and I want to meet my kids." She laughed and kissed my cheek, "well, wait no more, here they are now." I looked up as the nurse wheeled one baby bed into my room and frowned, "where's the other... one..."

Two little lavender haired infants lay sleeping in the plastic bed, curled up closely together. Two fluffy little tails were intertwined in a tight braid, gently tapping against the mattress. Both of them were fast asleep, and I breathed an awed sigh at their beauty.

"They refused to be separated for any longer than a few seconds." Bra giggled as they brought the bed to a halt at my bedside. As soon as they were within arm's reach of me, they seemed to sense my presence and opened two matching sets of crystalline blue eyes. I smiled and brushed a hand over their downy lavender hair, "hi, sweeties."

Both babies cooed as Bra gently lifted them out of the crib and laid them both in my arms. "Oh my kami, they're identical." I breathed, looking down at them both. I was scanning them both for any differences that I could use to tell them apart once I got around to naming them.

"She has a mole on her little bottom." Bra said, pointing to the twin on the right with a laugh, "and lefty here has one on the back of her neck. There are subtle differences." I looked at the twin on the left, "her hair and eyes are a few shades darker than her father's. Probably my interference."

"They're so gorgeous. I think Righty's going to be named after her Papa. Tora. I don't know about you." I smiled at the nameless baby girl in my left arm, "your name eludes me." She giggled and gave me a gummy smile.

"Mazemi."

I looked at my sister in-law, "I'm sorry, what?" Bra smiled softly, "Mazemi. I took Mazu Emi, '_First Laugh_' and put the words together. _Mazemi_. I think it fits our giggly girl." She gently nudged Lefty's cheek, and the baby girl giggled again, "I think she likes it."

"It's unique and beautiful. I love it." My mother put it, leaning over to look at the twins. "Do you like that name, Mazemi?" she squealed softly and kicked her legs in the black she was swaddled in. I kissed her forehead and looked between my two angels, "Tora and Mazemi Briefs. I like it."

**(A/N: If you play around with Google Translate, Mazu Emi is Japanese for 'First Laugh'; though Emi is actually a rough translate to LOL. Either way... it makes a very cute name. I think the pronunciation is Mah-Zim-ee or May-Zim-ee.)**

*Later*

"So..." Bra began nervously, "what did the doctor talk to you and your parents about?" I sighed and bit my lip, not sure of how to broach the subject. Tora and Mazi; her new nickname, courtesy of Uncle G, were sleeping in the single crib, tails intertwined in a lavender braid of fur. Tika and Kālu peered at them from the side, in awe of their tiny size. Everyone else was watching me, curiosity piqued by Bra's question.

"Someone take the kids out in the hall." I said softly, looking at my best friend helplessly. _I hope you take this well, Blue_. Marron got a co-worker to take the kids down to the daycare, leaving only the infants; Talen, Kaida, Koia, and, of course, Tora and Mazi. Of course, there were my parents, grandparents, Aunt B, Vegeta, Blue, Uncle G, Maz, Uub, Aunt Juu, and Uncle Krillin that I had to explain myself to.

_Deep breath... alright..._

"Well, uh... Kami, where do I start? I might..." I sighed wearily, "I could very possibly be dying." Everyone's eyes widened, and they all began to talk at once; very loudly, might I add. Tora mewled in her sleep, and I gently pulled the crib closer to the side of the bed, "It's okay, darling, don't cry." My two angels curled closer together and went back to sleep.

"Alright, everyone, calm down, you're disturbing the kids." I huffed, glowering at everyone. "Well, _I'm_ sorry." Bra said coolly, "I believe my best friend just told me she could be _dying_. Tell me, dear sister in-law, am I right or wrong?" I sighed, "They did a scan of my brain because I lost a lot of blood, and they wanted to make sure I didn't have any brain damage. No damage, thank Dende, but there's a mass in an inoperable area of my brain. They're considering stage IV melanoma."

"_Stage IV melanoma?_" Marron hissed, pushing towards my bed. If the circumstances hadn't been so serious, I might've laughed at the shocked look on her face, "Panny, if it's in a bad spot, then it's incurable. Chemo's not really effective on melanoma, especially stage IV. Have you started hallucinating yet?"

I froze, and she grasped my chin, "You have, haven't you?" I nodded and told her quietly, "I saw Trunks just a few hours ago, and I've been getting these weird flashes of him dead for the past few months."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Bra asked sadly, "you should've told someone." I looked up at her, "I told Mama, but we both thought it was the grief getting to my head, making me see things. I guess we were wrong."

"Hey, hey, hey... I have a very good chance of getting by without chemo because I'm extremely healthy, so don't get down just yet. The only thing is that I'd have to live with the hallucinations for the rest of my life. That would be better than dying while my kids are so young, but we'll have to wait and see."

*The next week* **(A/N: A tender moment between the girls.)**

I was released from the hospital after a week, with a warning to keep from being overly active, and to come back in for another scan in the next three weeks. The twins were sleeping in the same crib, as was usual, and Tika was in love with the little butterballs.

My parents were staying for an indefinite amount of time, whether it was to help me with the twins or to take care of me, the twins, Tika, and Kālu had yet to be said. I was just happy to be back in our vacation home, where I could relax and let go of all the stress and negativity that seemed to be plaguing me relentlessly ever since Trunks... went away.

"Oh, it feels good to be home." I said softly as Bra helped me lay down on my wonderful, soft, warm bed. Tika, my sweet little cherub, clambered up onto the bed and gently tucked herself against my side. Mama and Bra had warned her against being her usual, hyper self because I hurt my tummy while I was '_away_'.

"I imagine it does, Ma'am. Panny," Bra began softly, "I look at you, and I wonder how you keep this up. I'm in awe of you. You're stronger than you know."

"Keep what up?" I asked, "And it's not as easy as it looks; I hope you never have to see how this is. It's _hard_, Bra." Tears began to prick at my eyes, and I quickly glanced down. Tika had managed to fall asleep, nestled in my side.

"I have to keep up this façade in front of the kids, like everything's sunshine and roses, but it's really not. Their Papa is dead, but, as far as they're concerned, he's 'on a trip'. I have to hold myself together for their sake each and every day, when all I want to do is curl up in some dark corner and cry. Now, I have this tumor in my brain, and I don't even know how much longer I'm going to be around for them. They already lost their Papa, Bra, how can they lose me, too?"

We were both crying quietly now, and I noticed Maz standing in the door, crying as well. I gestured for her to come over to the bed, and she sat gingerly on the edge and took my hand. Bra took my other one, and I smiled at them both, "you two are my rocks. You both keep me grounded in two totally different but helpful ways. I love you, so much."

"Sweetie, we love you, too. And you're not going anywhere, not if we have anything to say about it." Maz said firmly, even though tears trickled down her cheeks like fresh rain. Bra nodded in agreement, even both of them knew as well as I that their influence had no power over what the tumor in my head decided to do to me.

A flash of movement in the shadow of my open closet door caught my eye, and my heart fell as Trunks stepped out of the shadows, looking as handsome and vibrant as ever. If I survived the melanoma, that would be wonderful, but how would I be able to put up with seeing him every day, knowing he wasn't my husband? I couldn't provide myself any answers, and my future began to look bleak.

Bra followed my gaze for a moment, and I watched her face fall, and a few more tears fell down her cheeks, "He's over there, isn't he?" I didn't need to nod to confirm her suspicion; she knew me all too well.

"I miss my big brother..." I heard her murmur, so low I wasn't sure I heard it, but I squeezed her hand in comfort, "I know you do, Blue." Maz hugged me softly and kissed my forehead, "I know exactly what you're thinking, Pan-chan, and you're going to make it through this. I can't tell you how, but you will."

I smiled and squeezed her hand, "It's a start."

_A perilous journey can only begin with a step..._

**Aghh! Screw this friggin chapter! It was such a stubborn bitch to write! Alright, so I changed a few things about stage IV melanoma, sue me. I was basing it off of season five in Grey's Anatomy, where Izzy had stage IV melanoma. If anyone thinks that Pan's either going to die old and grey or die within a few years, then you're wrong. I have something special in mind for next chapter. Next chapter will be the last REAL chapter, and then the fifth one will be the epilogue. Stay tuned for the last bit of this story. Much love- SukiChan12^-^**


	4. Accepting the Foretold

**I'm working through a pretty bad headache; that's how much I love my 'job'. I have something really special planned for this chapter. It's been twenty odd years since Pan was diagnosed, and slowly but surely, she's been getting worse. By now you have guessed that by the end of this chapter, she'll be gone, but it's not going to be just utterly sad. I'm going to make it as special as possible for her and for you guys. Enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

**Pan's POV**

My fingers twiddled with the blanket spread across my lap, and I forced myself not to look up, knowing that there were numerous gazes on me. _This is sad. I'm 48 years old, and I'm being babysat by my 26 year old son, 23 year old daughter, and my 19 year old twins_. I breathed a sigh and went back to my book; _I've never felt more like an old woman than I do now. My mother's approaching her 68__th__ birthday and she's more active than me..._

I was being watched daily. They thought I wouldn't notice, but I did. I wasn't stupid enough to think that I wouldn't be, what with my disease raging war on my immune, muscular, and respiratory systems. The watching got worse when I made 45 and I could barely muster the energy to get out of bed. That was three years ago.

My children grew up and the rosy tinge that their childish innocence had on their view on life dissolved. By the time they reached their preteens, they knew that something wasn't quite right with their mother. Once they were old enough to fully understand, I sat Kālu, Tika, Tora, and Mazi down and told them about the stage IV melanoma. Kālu, my sweet, not-so-little, protective boy wasn't happy with me because I'd kept it from them for so long, but my precious girls were upset...

_... Four inquisitive, suspicious eyes followed my slow, slightly stumbling gait as I made my way across the room to a chair. I lowered myself into the chair and took in my-our beautiful children._

_Kālu was twenty three now, and the spitting image of his father. I sincerely hoped I didn't mistake him for one of my hallucinations one of these days, but I could never tell what time would bring. Kālu was soon to graduate from med school, early like me, and I couldn't be more proud of him._

_Tika was nineteen, fresh out of her first year of college, and still my spitting image. She'd inherited her grandfather's love of learning, though she planned to pursue a career in law as soon as she was able. We could almost pass for twins, with our long, hip length hair and large, round midnight eyes. Her eyes had a subtle slant that screamed Trunks, though I was the only one who could see it._

_Mazi and Tora were just barely sixteen, both on the verge of graduating early, with the rate they were going. Even I hadn't been as engrossed in my studies when I was younger. Mazi's lavender hair had darkened to a deep violet, and her eye color changed from light sapphire to the periwinkle of my mother's eyes. Tora, on the other hand, was essentially me with her father's coloring and her Aunt's figure. Both of them took after Bra and Bulma in that aspect. Kālu was going to have to keep a sharp eye on them both._

"_So, you're probably wondering why I wanted you all here, tonight." I said softly, looking around our vacation home, now full time home._

_I never managed to bring myself to return to West City. The memories were too much for me to bear. Bra and Marron made sure that the kids got to school on time each and every day. I ended up having to quit my job as a neurosurgeon because of my hallucinations._

"_Mama, what is it?" Mazi asked softly, her eyes full of worried tears. She was always very sensitive, and it was easy for her to just cry for no apparent reason. It made for a troublesome childhood that was for sure._

"_I know you've noticed that I haven't been myself at all, and I wanted to tell you when I thought you were old enough to handle it." I smiled sadly, "Mama's been very sick lately, and I'm not going to get better anytime soon."_

_Kālu's eyes widened in realization, and he immediately came to me and grasped my hands, "Mom, why didn't you tell us sooner?" I looked down, fighting off the tears that welled up at the agonized tone in his voice, "I didn't want you to worry about me. You don't deserve to be burdened by me."_

"_Mama, you're- you could never be a burden." Tika cried, coming to my side, "we love you." I sighed and cupped her cheek, "I know you do-"_

"_It's a form of cancer, isn't it?" Kālu asked at once, surprising me. I blushed and nodded once, "I've had stage IV melanoma since before the twins were born."_

_He released my hands to clench his fists in frustration and anger, and I ran a hand through his hair. I could hear Mazi's soft sobs, and longed to comfort her, but they had to know that I probably wouldn't make the next five years. Or even three._

"_The tumor's in a dangerous spot in my brain, and it's starting to spread to different areas, now, like my motor skills, and my muscles. I chose not to undergo chemo because I didn't want you to see me so sick and weak when you were so young. That and it wouldn't have done much for me."_

"_Mama, a little goes a long way. You could've done some treatments." Tora told me softly, but I shook my head, "if I had done the treatments, you probably would've lost me before you made it to elementary school, and I wasn't going to do that to you. You already lost your father, and I wasn't going to make you orphans."_

_Mazemi rushed into my arms and burrowed her head in neck, sobbing softly. Tears trickled down my own cheeks as I ran my fingers through her soft, violet locks. My eyes drifted across the room, where my personal reminder; that my days were numbered, stood in the dark corner, watching me._

_Our eyes met, and he whispered, "They had to know sometime." I buried my face in Mazi's hair and continued to cry with her..._

I came out of my reverie when Bra came into the room, grabbed Kālu, and dragged him from the room. My face creased with a suspicious frown, "What on earth..."

Mazi emerged from the kitchen with my peppermint tea, wrapped in a towel to protect my hands from the heat. I took the mug, cursing my hands as they continuously shook and trembled.

A new tumor had emerged in my brain, right near the area that controlled my motor skills, and I was suffering for it. My brain might as well look like Swiss cheese by now. I had a slight speech impediment because of a mass, and my memory was growing misty with each passing day.

I had to try incredibly hard to recall most of my days as a teenager, and everything beyond that was just... nothing. Mama and Bra gave me photo albums and told me stories to try and keep as many of the memories with me. The day I couldn't recall the Grand Tour was a sad one, because there was no one around to tell me any stories and show me pictures. Grampa and Trunks were gone.

**(A/N: Bulma, Chichi, Goku, and Vegeta are gone. Krillin is too, of course, so it's just Gohan, Videl, Pan, Goten, Bra, Marron, Uub, Juuhachi, and the third and fourth generations of Z-Senshi.)**

Again, my attention was drawn to Tika and Tora. They stood in the corner, whispering furiously about Kami knows what. My demon wasn't present today, and I thanked Kami for that, because I knew it worried everyone when my eyes would wander in the middle of a conversation or during dinner. They knew what it was, yes, but they took as a sign that things weren't going to get any better.

I took a sip of tea and flipped to the next page of my book, when my niece, Koia, emerged from the backyard, smiling like she'd won the lottery. She walked over to me and touched my hand, "Auntie Pan, come outside for a second. We have a surprise for you."

My brow rose, and I grasped her hand and Mazi's to get to my feet. Tika placed my tea and my book on the table, and Tora grabbed my robe from the back of the sofa and helped me get into it. I slid my feet into my fuzzy blue house boots and shuffled outside.

Koia and Mazi kept a hand at my back in case my legs gave out; which will happen if I'm up too long, and Tora opened the door. Bra, Kālu, Goten, Goku Junior, Vegeta Junior, and Kaida stood in a pyramid formation, with Goten at the point.

Uub and Marron stood off to the side with Kaila, Mari, Juu, Talen, and Aunt Juuhachi. My parents stood not too far from them. The strangest thing was that all of them were smiling at me. My face pursed into a frown, "what is this, an intervention? What have I done that I shouldn't be doing this time?"

Bra laughed, "No, Pan, this is a birthday present." I frowned, "I'm 49, now? I don't... I can't even remember what day my birthday's on." some of the friendly, smiling faces began to crease with worry, and I instantly felt bad for raining on their enthusiasm. _Jeez, Panny, way to go..._

"Your birthday was two days ago, but this present took quite a while to organize because we had to pull a few strings with the higher ups. We were supposed to have it a long time ago, but... yeah." Goten smiled his wonderful Son grin, and I walked up to him, peering around him, "there's nothing behind y-"

"Panny?"

I heard the back down swing open, and everyone's eyes went from me to... to _him_. I slowly turned, fighting off tears. If the others were looking, then it wasn't a hallucination. He was really here.

My husband; my _real_, flesh and bone husband, stood in the doorway to our vacation home, dressed in a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. The halo over his head was the only thing that kept me from thinking he'd come home to stay.

Baba floated on her crystal ball beside him, and she smiled at him, "Since I'm feeling generous, Trunks, and you and your family have been hounding me for the past few years, I'll give you a week. Just remember that if you do stay for that long, you won't be able to come back again."

"I'll take it, Baba. Thanks, so much." Baba nodded, gave me a soft, almost grandmotherly smile, and flew off on her ball. My eyes immediately whipped back to Trunks, and tears began to fall down my cheeks, "You're... you're real... you're _here_..."

He stepped forward and pulled me into his arms, "Shh," then pressed his lips to mine for one long, passionate kiss. I gasped into his mouth, _he tastes exactly the same..._ I could hear tittering and very quiet cat calls as our kiss began to stretch in length.

Far too soon, he pulled away so our foreheads were touching, "You have me for the whole week." My stupid weakness kicked in at the worst moment possible, and I practically crumpled in his hold. He caught me and scooped me up, cradling me against his chest, "I forgot about that. How are you feeling?"

"Better. So much better." I babbled, burrowing my face in his neck. The phone had rung during our kiss, and someone had gone to answer it. Suddenly, the door opened again, revealing my mother. Her face was pinched with worry, and she held the phone in her hand, "Pan, it's for you."

I reached out and took the phone, not knowing that the simple conversation would such a large impact on me and my family.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Mrs. Briefs, this is Dr. Stevens-Moreno. I just went over the scan we took of your brain two days ago, and we have some disturbing news." My smile melted off of my face, "What is it?"

**(A/N: Like a Band-Aid.)**

"Mrs. Briefs... if this scan is correct... then you only have a week left to live." My hand seemed to go numb and the phone fell from my hand in what felt like slow-motion.

_This can't be happening. I haven't even seen one of my kids walk down the aisle... or met my first grandbaby. Oh kami, my parents. They can't bury their own child..._ everything went black, and the last thing I registered was Trunks shouting my name as I lolled in his arms.

*later*

I woke up in my bed, bundled under the covers like a feverish child. I slowly sat up and looked around. Trunks lay next to me, playing with a lock of my hair, and our eyes met when I began to move. My teeth sank into my bottom lip, and tears pricked at my eyes.

"You're going to die soon, aren't you?" He asked softly, "I knew you were sick; I've been watching over you since I got to Otherworld, but it... it doesn't feel real." I nodded, "They say I have a week. Funny, you have a week to come spend time with me and the family, and I have a week left until I leave to join you. I guess we'll be leaving together, then."

Trunks sighed heavily, "I hate seeing you like this. It's not like you to be so dependent." I sighed and nodded, "it's an unavoidable part of my life, I'm afraid. I don't like it, but I don't have a choice. I'm lucky to be able to use the bathroom on my own."

"Could you tell me a story? From the Grand Tour?" I inquired, snuggling under his chin, "my memory's going fuzzy, and I can't really recall much of anything that came before med school." His lips met the top of my head, "alright, from beginning to end?" I nodded, "if you'd like." He took a deep breath and started talking, and I relaxed in his arms, listening to the thrum of his heart.

*that night*

"I have something I need to tell you all." I said softly, looking at each face at the dinner table. A hand that I knew very well grasped my hand under the table, and squeezed. I gave Trunks a grateful look and began to tell them about the call.

"The doctors were examining my scan from Wednesday, and they found that the cancer spread a bit more than they'd anticipated. If it keeps spreading at this rate... I'll be gone in a week, possibly less."

Jaws dropped. Glasses fell. Drinks spilled. Forks clattered onto plates. Bra choked on her lemonade and spat it into Uub's face. Mazi immediately stood from the table and left the room, with Tora, Kaida, and Koia trailing behind her. Everyone began to talk, all at once, and I left the table in the middle of the din. Or tried to. I was barely strong enough to get out of the room before my legs started to give up on me.

I collapsed against a side table and plopped on the floor, beyond angered and frustrated at my own weakness and helplessness. Trunks came out of the room after me, and knelt down beside me, running his fingers through my hair as frustrated tears flooded down my cheeks.

"I used to be able to throw fucking _planets_ and now I can't even leave a room without collapsing. Why the hell did this have to happen to me?" I asked bitterly, my fingers shaking violently, "There's a tumor to keep me from walking straight, or at all, apparently. There's tumor to keep me from talking correctly, and there's one that's slowly atrophying my muscles and shortening my breathing. There's a fucking tumor for everything-"

"Panny, shh... No one had any control over this." Trunks told me softly, cupping my face, "you've been dealt a bad hand in life, just like I was." I leaned in and kissed him softly, "I can't- all this anger. It wasn't there when I got diagnosed; it wasn't there when I had to come in every other week for a scan. Why now?"

"Because you're starting to realize how final this is. You've come to the end of the road, and you're not ready to leave."

"I want to be here for their weddings, for our grandkids... I knew I was going to die, but why now?" I asked him softly, "They still need me, Trunks." My husband cradled me in his arms, "I know they do." I laid my head against his collar bone and wept silently.

*Saturday*

I stayed in bed the next morning, ensconced in my husband's arms. I had spoken to anyone since the other night, and I still didn't feel like I could handle it without breaking down into tears. I was fully aware of the fact that I had barely a week left with them, but I couldn't bring myself to face my family. Instead, I locked myself in my room like the coward I was, and hid in Trunks' arms.

"I can smell it, you know?" Trunks asked as the sun rose over the mountain peaks. I frowned and tilted my head to look up at him, "smell what?"

"The tumors. They screw around with your natural scent, and make you smell all weird." Despite myself, I began to giggle, and he smiled and kissed my temple. A shiver ran through me, courtesy of my slight fever, and he bundled me up a bit tighter and pulled me into his chest. _Overprotective moron..._

There was a quiet knock at the door, and our eyes met, silently asking if we should let the person in. "Who is it?" I asked Trunks softly, "I can't exactly sense people anymore." He frowned for a second, "it's my sister and Maz."

"Come in." I said at last. The door slowly swung open, and Bra and Marron walked in slowly, worried looks on their faces. Worried looks that evaporated into humor when they saw how Trunks had cocooned me in blankets to break my fever. I looked like a burrito with a face.

"Haha," I snipped, "laugh at my pain, why don't you." Trunks snorted at me, "You were the one who said you were cold. Excuse me for going overboard." I rolled my eyes, "where are the kids?"

Marron placed a hot mug of peppermint tea on the bedside table, "Mazi is still in her room, Tora went to go spar with Kālu, Talen, Goku, and Vegeta, and Tika's downstairs in the kitchen, making some baked potato soup for your lunch. I think Koia, Kaida, Mari, Juu, and Kaila are in Mazi's room."

"I kind of wanted to spend the day with them, as a family, but if they've got their own things to do, then never mind. I don't want them to drop everything for me-"

"Mama, don't be like that." Tika sniffed as she carried my lunch tray into the room, "if you want to spend time with us, then I'll go drag everyone back here. They won't mind."

"Tika, you can't just..." too late, she was already headed down the hall to Mazi's room. I breathed a sigh and leaned my forehead against Trunks' chest, "she has too much of your mother in her. It's frightening." Trunks' chest vibrated with his soft chuckle, "I've noticed."

Tika had wrangled up all of the children, and now, all them were sprawled over the bed, and on us. Tika was curled up against her father's side; the same way she used to when she was younger, Kālu was lying across the foot of the bed, and the twins were, somehow, snuggled between me and Trunks. I smiled and kissed the top of Tora's head, caressing her soft curls.

"Alright, we have a week." Trunks began softly, "what do you guys want to do?" Mazi looked up at him with large eyes, "take Mama to the beach. She hasn't been out of the house lately, much less out in the sun, because it's not good for her, but we could get one of those tents and then she'd be fine."

I nodded, "we could do that tomorrow. Anything else?" Tika spoke up, "how about... on Thursday, if time hasn't run out, you and Papa go have a date night?" My heart fluttered at the thought of going on a date with my husband, but then I frowned, "by then I'd be too sick to go out."

"Well, then, you could have the date here. We'll set everything up, cook all the food, and then you guys could have some privacy. You deserve it, Mama." Four pairs of hopeful eyes turned on me, and I sighed as Trunks joined in, "Fine. Thursday night. What about the rest of today, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday?"

"How about a movie night tonight?" Kālu asked, "and then Monday, we'll have a family fun day outside?" I nodded, "I like that."

"Well, then, Tuesday is makeover/spa day for you, Mama." Tora winked, "you're looking worse for wear these days." I hit her on the arm, "Oh, hush you." the bed shook gently with the girls' giggling. I rolled my eyes; _this is why I love them... even though they make it hard not to..._

*that night*

Trunks and I were cuddled up on the couch as Mari and Koia set up the surround sound and the DVD for _Lady and the Tramp_. I sighed softly and snuggled deeper into his embrace, "I love you." His warm, sweet breath caressed my cheeks, "I love you, too." I smiled and pulled my blanket tighter around as a shiver ran through my body. It was so hard for me to keep warm these days because my internal temperature was so out of whack.

The opening credits rolled, and my eyes focused on the screen, ready to enjoy one of my favorite love stories...

*Sunday: Beach Day*

"This is so unnecessary." I mumbled as Trunks helped me out of the car, carefully holding an umbrella over me. I wasn't allowed to be in direct sunlight, though it had never been explained to me in full. I just knew it wasn't good for the melanoma, and... All that medical mumbo-jumbo that I couldn't remember.

"Why is it so unnecessary that we want your last days on this planet to be fun and stress free?" Bra demanded as she looped an arm around my waist to help me along.

She and Marron had dressed me in a pair of shorts and a tube top this morning; for Trunks' sake I guess. I didn't feel comfortable in the revealing clothing, at least not like I used to. Back then, I could flaunt what I had, no problem, but now... I'm dreadfully sick, and my skin looks pasty and gross. The natural tan I'd developed from spending so much time outdoors had faded, and I was paler than the moon.

Kālu and the boys had finished putting the veranda up and there was a nice, cushioned spot on a thick blanket just for me, complete with blankets in case my temperature started acting up. There was even tea. Bra helped me get down onto the cushions, and I smiled gleefully as I finally got off of my feet. I grabbed a blanket and spread it across my lap, enjoying the view of the water.

Trunks had to stay in the veranda with me, because it wouldn't do for him to be seen in public, what with everyone thinking he was dead. It was bad enough that some people thought Kālu was his ghost, returned to reap vengeance on his killer. My mind drifted to Elian, and a small smirk formed on my face. _I hope you're enjoying prison, bitch_.

I let my head loll on the pillows, letting the ocean breeze caress my face and neck. It felt so wonderful to be outside after all that time I spent in the house. It became less like a stress free getaway, and more like a prison as my illness persisted.

"I haven't been to the beach since before you... died." I said softly, looking over at my husband. He smiled at me, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. I immediately started to apologize for bringing it up, but he shook his head.

"I felt horrible. When I woke up in Otherworld, I started to beg Yemma to let me go back, but there was nothing he could do. I went to find King Kai so I could see what was happening on earth, and then I found out you were pregnant again. I wanted to come back so badly." His eyes sparkled with unshed tears, "I was worried that you would miscarry when you found me, but you were too strong for that. I'm glad you didn't lose the twins."

I nodded, "Trunks, can you tell me what happened that day?" _ I know this is going to hurt me... hurt us, so why am I asking? I'm such a glutton for punishment..._

"When I got to the office, something felt off. Elian was already waiting at my office door, with my coffee in her hand. She'd seemed a bit too happy for a normal work day, but I thought nothing of it, and took my coffee from her before letting myself into my office. She followed me in, and every time I tried to strike up a conversion, she'd subtly suggest that I try my coffee, that it was a new brew. When she didn't let up, I just drank the coffee." He breathed a weary sigh, "it tasted off, but I just assumed it was a different brew. Elian told me she was going to the copier, and that she'd be back with some invoices for me to sign in about twenty five minutes. While she was gone, my throat started to feel tingly, and my stomach just felt horrible. So I left early. That's when I called you." I nodded, remembering the conversation easily...

... _'Mine' by Taylor Swift began to blare through the room, causing me to jump, but I quickly pulled out my phone and answered it, "Trunks-kun?" A raspy chuckle greeted me, "Hey, Pan-chan." I frowned, "Trunks, are you alright?"_

"_We closed the huge deal today, and I'm going to head home early. I think my secretary gave me a bad cup of coffee, because I feel kind of weird." Trunks replied, and I heard papers rustling as he moved around in his office._

"_Alright, well, we're almost done, so I'll be home soon." I told him, "I've got a surprise for you, too." Trunks chuckled again, "I can't wait to see. Panny?"_

"_Yes, Trunks?"_

"_I love you." I laughed gently, "I love you, too-"_

"_No, Panny, I love you so much. You and our wonderful children. You make me feel like the luckiest man in the world, and I just want to thank you for giving me your heart, and our angels. It's been a wonderful seven years, hasn't it?"_

"_Well, yes, it has, and I believe it takes two to make one, love." I stood up, fixed my clothes, and drifted from the room to have privacy, "Baby, what brought this on?"_

"_I really don't know, actually. I woke up this morning with this strange feeling... like I was going to leave and never come back." I gasped, "Baby, you're not going anywhere." He coughed suddenly, and I realized he was about to start crying, "I don't know what the hell brought this on, but Pan... I don't want to leave you. I want to stay in our home with you and the kids and never leave. Panny, please, don't let me leave."_

_Tears began to trickle down my face as I listened to Trunks' heartbroken plea. "I won't let you. I promise I won't." I vowed, mentally urging Marron to hurry up with the pictures and the prescription so I could meet my husband at home._

"_Thank you, Pan-chan. I'm about to start driving, and you know I can't multitask." Trunks gave a watery chuckle, and I heard him throw his briefcase into the back of his hover car. He always carried it in his capsule case when he didn't feel like waiting on the limo to take him back home._

"_I beg to differ." I murmured saucily, and he chuckled again. "I'll see you when you get done with your mom and everyone else. Bye, Panny."_

"_Bye, Trunks." I said softly, and then hung up. Why did that feel so... so final? I had to get home now..._

"If you want to stop, you can, you don't have to-" Trunks shook his head, "I haven't told anyone, because my wife should be the first to hear it." He sighed and began to talk again, "as I started driving, my throat started to feel tight, like I my tie was too tight, so I loosened it and took it off. The feeling got worse, and then my face started to feel puffy. I unbuttoned the top few buttons of my shirt, trying to get some air, but it just came shallower and shallower. By the time I got to the house, I could barely breathe, and I realized that I was having a severe allergic reaction and I was going to... to die." He choked a bit, "I tried to get out of the car, but I just... I started to panic, and I couldn't focus. My stomach turned on me, and I threw up all over my favorite shirt. I managed to get my wallet out of my pocket, and I pulled the photo out. If I was going to die, then the last thing I wanted to see was my family."

Tears ran eagerly down his face as he spoke, his voice choked and full of emotion, "My breathing was all but non-existent, but I kept my eyes on that picture. Black spots started dancing around in front of me as the asphyxiation and lack of oxygen went to my head, and I whispered your name before everything went black."

I lunged, as much as I could, towards him and pulled him into my arms as he broke down, sobbing like a child. My own voice was choked with tears and I whispered comforts, ignoring the worried, tearful eyes around us. I kissed the top of his head and ruffled his hair gently, trying to calm him down, even though my own emotions were wreaking havoc on my self-control.

"Pan."

I looked up at Bra, "I know exactly what you're thinking. And you're absolutely right."

_I should've just killed the bitch when I had the chance..._

*later*

I sat in Trunks' lap as we watched the sunset over the ocean. The rays of light reflecting off of the water were just stunning; no matter how many times I'd seen it. Mazi's head was resting on my lap, and, if I was correct, I think she'd gone to sleep. She definitely felt a bit heavier than she did than when she'd first laid her head in my lap. I sighed, "I love spending time with my family. Even though I can't do much, it's still worth it."

"I know you do, Princess." Trunks whispered, "and it's always worth the effort." I smiled and laid my head against his shoulder, watching as the last ray of light disappeared beyond the horizon.

*Wednesday*

So far, my last week has been enthralling and exciting. I got to watch Trunks spar with Kālu for the first time, I got to see the twins connecting with their Papa so well; for this I felt sad because they'd only gotten to know him for just a week, and Tika was ecstatic to have him back.

Wednesday was family day, as in just me, Trunks, and the children. Bra and Marron were off, picking an outfit for me to wear to dinner tomorrow.

No one wanted to talk about this coming Friday, and that I understood. I wasn't ready for these last few days to end. They'd been so warm and full of love, affection, and comfort.

Of course, I was getting noticeably weaker, and now had to have a breathing tube in to keep my lungs from giving out. My speech issue was becoming cumbersome, and it was hard for me to grasp things and walk, because my entire body tended to tremble and shake.

My memory was becoming more fog than memory. Our wedding day was barely hanging on, as was the honeymoon, and the day I told Trunks I was pregnant with Kālu. He told me about it as often as possible, but I just... it wouldn't stay with me, no matter how much he told me.

I glanced down at my nails, polished with a sparkly clear coat and tipped in red. My makeover and spa day had gone wonderfully.

Bra and Marron had buffed, polished, trimmed, and waxed me until their hearts content, and gave me a new haircut. My hair was now hanging around my shoulders, cut in layers ad streaked with a deep, midnight blue. I loved it. My skin glowed with vitality, and no longer had a pasty look; more like porcelain.

"... and then Koia and Tora fell out of the tree house. Mama and Auntie Bra were pissed. Kālu, Goku, and Veggie were grounded for three months straight." Mazi finished her story with a flourish, and I laughed. Now that, I could remember.

Kālu, Goku and Vegeta left both sets of twins; Koia and Kaida, Mazemi and Tora, unattended in the tree house in the backyard. The girls were only six at the time, and Koia and Tora fell out. They came out unscathed; thank goodness for saiyan genes, but Bra and I were still upset, and we grounded them for it.

"I saw that." Trunks said with a laugh, "Champ, I thought you knew better than to incur your mother's wrath." Kālu shrugged, "I'm used to her wrath." I huffed, "O-oh, shut u-up, Kālu." The children laughed at my indignant move, and I groaned, suddenly nauseous.

"Tika, grab the trash can." Trunks ordered, and I assumed my face had gone a not so pretty green. My lunch was about to make a reappearance. Tika passed me the trash can just as the bile exploded up my throat, and out of my mouth. _Why can't this just be a peaceful, sickness-free family afternoon_?

Someone replaced the trashcan with a glass of cool water, and Trunks carried me to the bathroom so I could wash my mouth out. Despite myself, tears of frustration began to flood from my eyes. My husband set me down by the sink, and I rinsed my mouth out, still crying bitterly. Tora tried to clean my face with a warm towel, but I turned away, shaking my head.

"I-I can d-do it m-mysel-lf." I took the towel with shaking hands and tried to wipe my face, but hand shook too badly, and the towel fell to the floor. Trunks helped me sit on the toilet and knelt in front of me, holding my hands. Tora and Tika took the hint and left us alone.

"Tru-Trunks, I ca-can't... I j-just... I can-can't de-deal with th-this weak, help-helpless bo-body anymore." I managed to spit out, amongst plenty of stutters and stammers, "it's s-so hard, ha-having to ha-have so-some-o-one waiting on m-my hand and fo-foot because sim-simple tasks are t-too h-hard for me. I can-can't even e-eat o-on my own, or e-even read!" the tears became torrential, and Trunks just soaked it all in.

"M-my body's be-betraying m-me. I-I feel li-like a pri-prisoner in here." I knew he understood that I didn't mean the house, "I di-didn't want th-this to ha-happen. My o-own children a-are taking c-care of me, and I-I'm not e-even up i-in age!"

Trunks covered my mouth before I could rant and rave anymore, and I just broke apart; shattered. The tears came even harder than before, and I buried my face in his chest, sobbing for all I was worth. He said nothing; there was nothing he _could_ say, just held me and rubbed my back. He couldn't tell me it was going to be okay; like he did when I had that horrendous bout of morning sickness when I was pregnant with Tika, because then he would be lying. Nothing was okay. Not anymore.

*Thursday morning*

I was numb.

Deadened to all the chaos and fear I felt. Today was to be my last day on this planet, and, if not today, then tomorrow for sure. I could feel it coming; my death. The others could, too, if the melancholy tone of the house was any indication.

Trunks was the one who would get to have me after all of this was said and done, and even he wasn't happy. He didn't want the children to lose their last parent, but fate had other things in place for us.

Tika was graduating from law school soon, and the twins were soon to enter med school to become OB/GYNs like their Auntie Marron. I was going to miss it all, but acceptance was starting to set in. I would be able to watch from the heavens, but that was nothing compared to experiencing it for myself.

It wasn't the same as being there as my son was named Valedictorian of his graduating class; both high school and med school.

It wasn't the same as being there when the twins' high school dance team won Regionals, and then being there to comfort them both when they didn't place at Nationals.

It wasn't the same thing to be able to squeal and jump around with Tika when she got the acceptance letter to the college she'd dreamed of attending, and then crying with her at the airport, when it was time for her to go.

My kids were going to continue life without me, and I was coming to accept that; no matter how hard it seemed to be.

*that evening*

Bra artfully curled my hair and tucked a sparkling diamond pin into each side to give it a sort of mock-ponytail look. My bangs curled over my left eye, though. I was dressed in a sparkling lavender strapless dress with a flowy skirt, and my feet were in a pair of silver sandals. There was a thick silver ribbon around my waist, tied in a bow with the ends dangling to the backs of my knees.

My breathing tube was in place; the respirator clipped to the sash of my dress. My make-up was done beautifully, and the jewelry wasn't overwhelming me. For this, I was thankful. As I looked in the mirror, I could almost pass for the old, healthy me. The only thing that ruined the image was the breathing tube, and the IV port on my right hand.

"Panny, you look stunning." Mama told me softly, tucking a white blossom into my curls. I smiled softly, "Th-thanks, Mama." She smiled and kissed my cheek, helping me walk out of the bathroom. Bra and Marron were just outside, and Marron held up my four star ball necklace, "it wouldn't be complete without this, clashing or not."

I laughed softly and raised my curls so she could clasp it around my neck. The cold amber orb settled on chest, where it rightfully belonged. Bra wrapped me in a silver stole and kissed my forehead, "knock 'im dead- erm, deader, Panny."

I laughed and hugged her, "th-thank you, s-so much. You h-have no idea h-how gr-grateful I am f-for you guys br-bringing him b-back for me." Bra kissed my cheek, "we know exactly how grateful you are. You deserve a little piece of happiness before you... go." Tears began to brim in her eyes as she said this, and I smiled sadly, "p-please... not to-tonight." She nodded and grasped my arm so we could go down the stairs.

Apparently, she wasn't going to be my escort. Papa stood at the head of the stairs, waiting on us. I smiled, "a-are we re-recreating m-my wed-wedding day?" He chuckled and shrugged, "I guess so. You look absolutely gorgeous, Pan-chan."

A warm blush coated my cheeks, "th-thank you." He offered me his arm, and I looped mine through his. We slowly made our way down the stairs. I was pleasantly surprised that my legs weren't giving out on me. _Let's not jinx it_.

"Take good care of her, Trunks."

I came out of my thoughts as Papa spoke again, like it was my first date. I smiled and looked up at my husband. He looked dashing, in a lavender button down and gray jeans, and he smiled at me, "The girls thought it would be nice if I brought you this."

To my surprise, he pulled out a corsage box with two lavender roses, surrounded by Baby's Breath and silver decoration, complete with a few stretchy white bracelets to attach the beautiful flower piece to my wrist.

**(A/N: The corsage I described is exactly the one I wore to prom.)**

"Trunks, it's b-beautiful." I breathed as he took my left wrist and slipped the corsage onto it. He pressed a soft kiss to my wedding band and engagement rings. I gasped and raised a hand to my necklace. His wedding band still hung from the chain, right next to the mini four star ball. Mama helped me remove the band, and placed it in my palm.

"N-now," I took his left hand in my shaky right one and slid the band onto his left ring finger, "w-we match." A smile brighter than the sun lit up his face, and he clasped my necklace back around my neck, "your dinner awaits, Mademoiselle." With that, he grasped my hand and led me outside.

There were tea lights strung through the trees, and a small stereo was set up, along with a dance floor. Beyond that, up a small hill, was a table, set up under a small veranda, overflowing with all kinds of food. We headed up the hill, which was a bit of a challenge, but my legs stayed strong, something that surprised me.

"It s-smells wonderful." I breathed, taking the seat he'd offered me, "You had something to do with the menu, didn't you? These are all my favorites." I took a shrimp from a plate and popped it in my mouth, savoring the tangy taste. Trunks shrugged, and settled down at the table, "let's eat."

*after dinner*

I couldn't understand why, but after the wonderful dinner, I felt strangely stronger than I'd felt in days, like I'd been sent back in time to when I didn't need people to do things for me. I reveled in this new strength, for I didn't know when it would be taken from me.

"L-let's dance." Trunks, who'd been wiping his mouth, smiled and took my hand to lead me down the hill to the dance floor. Leaving me at the middle of the floor, he went to the stereo and pressed a button. _A Thousand Years_ by Christina Perri and Steve Kazee started to play, and I gasped, "our first dance."

Trunks' eyes widened, "you remember?" I nodded, "When I heard this song, I made sure that Bra put it on the playlist under first dance. I didn't stop hounding her until she did it." He chuckled, "I'm glad you did. I loved dancing to this with you." His hands fell on my hips, and I wrapped my arms around his neck as the music carried us down memory lane...

_Heart beats fast  
Colors and promises  
How to be brave?  
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall  
But watching you stand alone?  
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow_

_... Trunks led me out onto the dance floor and brought me into his arms. All the faces in the crowd faded away, and all I knew was that he and I existed, and that we were one. He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead, and we began to waltz smoothly across the floor..._

_One step closer_

_I have died every day waiting for you_  
_Darling don't be afraid I have loved you_  
_For a thousand years_  
_I'll love you for a thousand more_

_Time stands still_  
_Beauty in all she is_  
_I will be brave_  
_I will not let anything take away_  
_What's standing in front of me_  
_Every breath_  
_Every hour has come to this_

_... My hand gripped his with almost all of my strength as I cried out in pain, trying to relieve myself of our precious little boy. Trunks' voice was all I could hear in my mind as my muscles contracted, until at last, a strong wail broke through the haze of pain. Our little Kālu. He was finally here..._

_One step closer_

_I have died every day waiting for you_  
_Darling don't be afraid I have loved you_  
_For a thousand years_  
_I'll love you for a thousand more_

_And all along I believed I would find you_  
_Time has brought your heart to me_  
_I have loved you for a thousand years_  
_I'll love you for a thousand more_

_... Kālu's little hand pressed against my rounded belly, and I laughed as Tika kicked furiously, as if trying to get his hand off of her home. Trunks smiled at us as we stood in the living room and handed me a cup of tea before pressing his lips to mine. I faintly heard Kālu groan that we were 'gross' and run off to go play with his toys..._

_One step closer  
One step closer_

_... I came in from work late and hung my jacket on the coat hanger by the door before coming into the living room. Someone must've left the TV on before bed, or perhaps Trunks had waited up for me. What I saw on the sofa took my breath away. The end credits of Lady and the Tramp were rolling, and my husband was fast asleep on the sofa. Tika was cuddled under his chin, and Kālu's head rested on his chest. I smiled and snapped a picture with my phone before going to wake them up..._

_I have died every day waiting for you  
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more_

_And all along I believed I would find you_  
_Time has brought your heart to me_  
_I have loved you for a thousand years_  
_I'll love you for a thousand more..._

I stepped out of his arms as the song came to a close, feeling oddly light-headed. I passed it off as a result of so much time on my feet and started to make my way to the hill so I could take a sip of some water and, perhaps, dance another song with my husband.

Half way up the hill, my mysterious reserve of strength left me, and I stumbled for a moment, and then fell to my hands and knees. The light headedness set in, and I groaned weakly, trying to get back to my feet.

Trunks came to my side, and I looked up at him through half-lidded eyes, "T-Trunks... I th-think it's time." Realization set in and he scooped me up before making his way back to the house. I silently thanked Dende for letting me share this romantic evening with my husband before I had to go.

**No POV**

The large bedroom was full of people, all trying to crowd around the bed to see the small, frail woman inhabiting it. Trunks lay beside her, holding her as she rested on her pillows. The situation just seemed wrong. For someone so young to seem to fragile, like a single touch would cause her to break.

After Trunks had gotten Pan into the house, he'd explained that her time had come, and that it was nearing her time to depart from this world. Everyone shot into action, well aware that it was going to come soon. Bra and Marron got her out of her dress and into some light, comfy clothing, washed the makeup from her face, and got her into bed.

All four of her distraught children sat on the bed. Mazemi was closest to her, and holding her other hand as tears silently slid down her cheeks. Pan reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her daughter's ear, "D-don't be sad, b-baby. Y-you'll see-ee me again."

Mazi shook her head and laid her head on Pan's chest, still crying. Pan sighed and ran her fingers through her daughter's hair. Her eyes landed on her first born, and they narrowed slightly, "I w-want you to pr-protect y-your sisters. If they e-end up married to some sc-scum b-bags, I will c-come back and h-haunt you. and girls," she eyed all three of her daughters, "the sa-same go-goes for you. D-don't you let K-Kālu marry some m-money grubbing who-ore, or else."

Tika, Tora, and Mazi nodded solemnly from their various positions around their slowly dying mother. Trunks spoke up, "the world isn't going to end because your mother's gone. I don't want you to completely fall apart because of her death. You guys are strong, and I know you can make it through this."

"Bra, Maz," Pan gestured her two closest friends to her side of the bed. They rushed over immediately, and Pan whispered "I w-want you to l-look out for my b-babies. My p-parents aren't g-going to be around m-much longer than me, and I kn-know I can tr-trust you, G-Goten, and Uub to make sure th-they don't l-lose it."

Bra nodded, slow tears streaking down her face, "I swear I'll look out for them, Panny." Marron nodded solemnly, unable to speak. They moved aside so Pan's parents could see her next. Videl, her strong mother, were breaking apart at the seams.

"Mama, d-don't c-cry." Pan begged, reaching out to hug her mother. "I can't help it." Videl breathed, "you're supposed to bury _me_, but the other way around." Pan nodded, "I kn-know, but th-there's no-nothing we c-can do n-now." The mother and daughter hugged again, the former unwilling to let go. Gohan had to pull her away, and Juuhachi led the distraught woman from the room.

"Panny, Kami... I don't even know what to say..." Gohan said softly, running a hand through her hair. Pan smiled helplessly at him, "Y-you and I b-both kn-know th-this was coming. B-but if it w-was the o-other way around, I wouldn't kn-know what t-to say either." Gohan kissed her forehead tenderly, and then shot Trunks a stern look, "I want you to take good care of her. I mean it." Trunks nodded once, fully aware of the consequences if he failed his task.

"Papa, t-take care of M-Mama." Pan said softly, "d-don't let th-this break h-her, and d-don't let it b-break you." Gohan nodded once and left the room to check on Videl. He was fully aware that it would be the last time he saw his daughter alive.

Pan got to hug her Uncle, Uub, and her nieces and nephews one last time, and then they all trickled out, until it was just her, Trunks, and their children. She grew weaker still, but she fought off her impending death. She'd vowed to see the light of the sun coming over the horizon just one last time.

"I don't w-want you t-to see me l-leaving." Pan told her children softly, "so I wa-want you to go. C-come back in th-the morning."

Tika and Kālu hugged their parents for what would be the last time for a very long time. "I'll miss you, Papa." Tika said softly, ensconced in her Papa's arms, "make sure Mama makes it Otherworld alright." Trunks kissed the top of her head, "I'll miss you, too, Princess." Both of them fought off tears as the separated.

Mazi and Tora wanted to stay with Pan, but she wouldn't allow it. "This is my l-last wish. I do-don't want you to w-watch me d-die." She told them quietly, "that's n-not a memory of m-me that I w-want you to have." The twins reluctantly acquiesced and went to say their goodbyes to their father.

"I'm glad I finally got to meet the both of you." Trunks whispered, "I want both of you to be strong." Mazi nodded, still crying. Tora kissed Trunks on the cheek, "I love you, Papa." Mazi nodded, "I love you, too." Trunks pulled both of his baby girls in for a hug and kissed them both on their foreheads, "I love you, both, too. So much. Take care fo yourselves." They nodded and left the room with their older siblings...

*early Friday morning*

It was approaching sunrise, and Pan was just barely hanging onto life. Trunks was wrapped around her, holding her like his arms alone would stop her soul from evacuating her body. His face was pressed into her hair, taking in as much of her scent as he could. As tainted as it was by her illness and oncoming death, he still couldn't get enough of it.

"T-Trunks, l-look, isn't it b-beautiful?" Pan asked weakly, and Trunks gasped as his skin began to dematerialize as the sunlight entered the room from the window. "One last t-time." Pan whispered, "tell me about the first time we met." The stutter left her voice as she used her final vestiges of strength to make her final request clear.

"You were a little devil, that was for sure," Trunks began softly, tears streaming from his eyes as he felt her ki begin to evaporate, "all you wanted to do was follow me and Goten to the GR to train with us. We just thought you were a weak little girl... how wrong we were..."

His voice began to fade into nothingness as his time on Earth expired, and the two souls were whisked away to Otherworld, leaving only the shell of an integral, extraordinary piece of the legendary Z-Senshi behind...

Tika and Tora gently pulled a sheet over their mother's body, and, for a second, everyone in the room could've sworn that they faintly heard her jubilant, tinkling laughter, intermingled with Trunks' deep chuckle. It was then that they knew everything would be alright.

* * *

**And that marks the end of Fumetsu Mai. There's an Epi and then that's it. Oh my god, there are tears running down my cheeks right now. This was so hard to write. It's even more emotional for me than the first chapter. So, Pan and Trunks are together now, and we're going to do a little time skipping again, because I have a great idea for the Epi. Much Love, SukiChan12^-^**

**One last thing, credit for the lyrics goes to Christina Perri, and the producers of the song.**


End file.
